Can Aaron Rodgers do that? Russell Wilson? Kirk Cousins?
The New York Giants are clearly on a two-pronged veteran/rookie path to solving their quarterback problem. It is likely that they will have both in place after the NFL Draft in April.
Giants GM Joe Schoen was clear at the Combine that he expects whichever veteran quarterback the team brings in to mentor a drafted quarterback.
“Even if you get a young quarterback, we’d like to have a vet in the room with them to show them the ropes and how to be a pro,” Schoen said.
The Giants’ big swing for Matthew Stafford showed that they are willing to shoot as high as they can for a quarterback this offseason, an understandable stance considering where the franchise is.
Signing Sam Darnold to a big free agent contract is an option, but has eerie similarities to the Giants’ failed signing of Daniel Jones after the 2022 season.
Much of the chatter recently has the Giants expected to focus on the high end of veteran market — Aaron Rodgers, Kirk Cousins, Russell Wilson — as a 2025 bridge to potential quarterback of the future.
So, how would those three aging quarterbacks fit the “veteran mentor” role?
An Atlanta source indicated that Cousins’ unwillingness to help No. 8 overall draft pick Michael Penix Jr. last season was an issue for the Falcons. Cousins seemingly did not want to help a young player prepare to take his job.
If Cousins is going to come to New York, he needs to understand the situation he is entering and be willing to accept mentoring responsibility.
Wilson was paired with Justin Fields in Pittsburgh in 2024. He said during the season that “I’ve always tried to be a mentor in some way to him,” and that “I think that’s a critical part to being successful as a team.”
Fields, for his part, said Wilson was “a great teammate to me. A great mentor to me.”
Jarrett Bailey of SB Nation’s Steelers website, Behind the Steel Curtain, said “He [Wilson] and Fields seemed to have a good relationship and Russ appeared to do all he could to help Fields. Both guys always spoke high of each other and handled it all really well.”
That is a box checked in Wilson’s favor.
What about Rodgers? Wherever he lands, Rodgers certainly carries the stench of a miserable two years with the New York Jets and plenty of other baggage.
When it comes to mentoring young quarterbacks, though, that has apparently never been an issue for Rodgers.
Brett Favre was not welcoming to Rodgers with the Green Bay Packers, and Rodgers has tried not to follow in those footsteps.
“He treated [Jordan] Love well for sure,” said Justis Mosqueda of SB Nation’s Packers website, Acme Packing Company. “There’s a generational gap there but he was nice to him. Rodgers basically turned all the pain he felt on draft day against the front office instead of the quarterback because of what he went through with Favre.”
Because it is Rodgers, though, that comes with a caveat.
“Rodgers will be nice to his backup but if you sign him and then draft a guy I can only expect that he’ll whine about it on ‘McAfee’ weekly,” Mosqueda said.
I asked former BBV contributor Rivka Boord, who writes for Jets X-Factor, for insight into how teammates and coaches with the Jets felt about Rodgers. She sent me the following lengthy, insightful answer:
“There could not have been a more stark contrast between media perception and the reality among Rodgers’ teammates. Every single word that left the Jets’ locker room about him was invariably positive if not glowing.
“Most recently, third-string QB Jordan Travis posted on X, “8 is a great person. The narrative is crazy.” Quinnen Williams gave a thumbs-down at the news that the Jets would be moving on from Rodgers. Quincy Williams and Jermaine Johnson seemed baffled at the mere idea that Rodgers could be a distraction and vigorously defended him against that accusation. In 2023, Rodgers received the Dennis Byrd Award from his teammates, which is given each year to the Jets’ most inspirational player.
“That being said, Mike Williams certainly took issue with Rodgers calling him out in the media for running the wrong route. He trolled Rodgers on Instagram after catching the game-winning touchdown in his first game after being traded to the Steelers.
“Additionally, Rodgers and Garrett Wilson appeared to be on the outs — perhaps only towards the end of the season, or perhaps already from training camp. Wilson clearly took issue with Rodgers spamming Davante Adams with targets even when he was far more open. That would undoubtedly be a problem for Malik Nabers if Adams followed Rodgers to the Giants.
“As far as the Jets’ coaches, Robert Saleh was utterly giddy when they acquired Rodgers and seemed perfectly content to let his quarterback be the alpha in the room. (I can’t imagine someone like Brian Daboll allowing his quarterback to get away with blowing off mandatory minicamp for a trip to Egypt, no matter who that quarterback is.) Jeff Ulbrich is always fawning in his praise of players, so you’d never get a true impression even if he abhorred Rodgers. Nathaniel Hackett was obviously Rodgers’ lackey, and Todd Downing (the QB coach who took over for Hackett as play-caller) never said anything negative about him.
“Woody Johnson’s relationship with Rodgers was very evidently fractured from early in the season, but that wouldn’t make anyone blink twice. It’s hard for me to see John Mara being even remotely okay with many of the stunts Rodgers pulled, though.
“The best answer I can give overall is that it seemed the Jets’ players really like Rodgers, though I still cannot figure out why.”
So, Giants fans, who do you like in the mentor role?