The New York Giants need a change on their roster. Choosing Daniel Jones, and subsequently cutting him, over Saquon Barkley was something that the franchise will regret for years to come. However, with Malik Nabers on the squad, the team adding a quarterback to pair with him has to be the No. 1 priority.
So far, rumors linking both Matthew Stafford and Aaron Rodgers have made the rounds. While they struck out on Stafford, Rodgers remains a possibility. However, two former linebackers turned analysts have different opinions about the direction New York should take.
Aaron Rodgers or Russell Wilson: 2 Sides of the Same Coin
Manti Te’o, officially retired from the NFL at the end of the 2020 season after an eight-year career. Nearly four years later, he has joined the NFL Network as both an on-air commentator and an analyst. Speaking about the Giants’ dilemma under center, Te’o was firmly in camp with Aaron Rodgers.
“Could this be a situation where the New York Giants are saying, ‘Hey, if we bring in somebody in like Aaron Rodgers, we’re looking at this [2025 NFL Draft] class, they don’t have necessarily a lot of experience; they may not be the franchise quarterback,'” Te’o said, putting air quotes around the words “franchise quarterback.”
Manti Te'o thinks that @AaronRodgers12 could be a perfect bridge QB for the @Giants. pic.twitter.com/KnNwK1kJ6g
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) March 18, 2025
With Te’o uncertain about both Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward, he believes Rodgers is the cure. “One of the cures to that [uncertainty] is having a veteran presence, having somebody like an Aaron Rodgers, in that locker room, where you can bring on one of these young quarterbacks and draft them at No. 3.”
However, another former linebacker turned sports media personality and analyst Emmanuel Acho had a different perspective. “The Giants are desperate, desperate for a quarterback. … We’re starting to let him [Brian Daboll] off the hook a little too much.”
He laid out the path for Daboll to improve and get some wins on the board: “I think the Giants need Russell Wilson.” More importantly, he believes the head coach needs good quarterback play as he’s been hiding “behind bad quarterback play.”
.@EmmanuelAcho calls for the Giants to make a push for Russell Wilson 👀
“Brian Daboll and the Giants desperately need Russell Wilson. You can’t continue to hide behind bad QB play.” pic.twitter.com/NpnG2H1y8j
— The Facility (@TheFacilityFS1) March 18, 2025
“I think they desperately need Russell Wilson because, Daboll, you’re not surviving another season,” Acho said. “Not with three wins, not with six wins — I don’t even know if you survive with nine wins. … He needs Russell Wilson.”
Both Wilson and Rodgers are former Super Bowl champions. While Rodgers is a four-time league MVP and one of the greatest quarterbacks ever, Wilson hasn’t climbed to the same heights. Furthermore, both in terms of play style and locker room presence, the two are vastly different.
Yet, Colin Cowherd backed up his claim about the two producing at essentially the same level over the last three seasons. Whether it be team records, TD-to-INT ratio, completion percentage, or passer rating, Wilson and Rodgers are neck and neck in virtually every category.
While both options could work as a placeholder in New York, neither man is likely taking the team over the hump.