The New York Giants, like the rest of the football world, are waiting on the word of quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
As he considers the Giants, the Pittsburgh Steelers, or a more prolonged stay on the open market, each organization's outlook hangs in the balance. Will Pittsburgh have to welcome Russell Wilson back after reports of a nasty divorce? Will "Giants Country, let's ride" go viral after every press conference?
The loser of the Rodgers sweepstakes seems like a strong fit for Wilson, but it's been reported that he has interest in the Tennessee Titans, along with the aforementioned vacancies.
As such, there's a world in which general manager Joe Schoen misses out on Matthew Stafford, Geno Smith, Sam Darnold, Justin Fields, and the headlining veterans of the open market.
That, especially without a guarantee of a Round 1 passer, is a nightmare scenario for the New York faithful.
If things go south, Paul Schwartz of the New York Post suggested that signing former Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco could be the Giants' alternative to Rodgers.
"If the Giants miss out on Rodgers and Wilson, a player who might interest them is Joe Flacco," Schwartz wrote. "The 40-year-old played decently last season for the Colts, going 2-4 in six starts with 12 touchdown passes, seven interceptions and a passer rating of 90.5. Do the Giants want to see this scenario unfold? No, they do not. But they are running out of options."
Flacco's career was supposed to be over after his stint in MetLife Stadium with the New York Jets. But a breakout of sorts saw him drag the Cleveland Browns offense to the playoffs in 2023, earning him an opportunity with the Indianapolis Colts.
East Rutherford proved to be treacherous once again. In Week 17, he visited New York and ended the Giants 10-game losing streak with three interceptions, bearing witness to the greatest performance of Drew Lock's career. Once again, his career could have been unofficially over in MetLife Stadium.
Now, at 40 years old, starting for the Giants isn't completely out of the picture.
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Flacco wouldn't come with the "upside" of the other veteran passers being discussed, but he wasn't necessarily worse than him in Indianapolis.
Of the 36 passers with as many plays (291) as Flacco, he ranked 18th, 22nd, and 18th in expected points added per play, success rate, and completion percentage over expected, respectively. By success rate, he ranked better than both quarterbacks, and by the other marks, he fell between them (rbsdm).
It's clear Flacco can have a calming presence as a mentor, but he can step up as a point guard, too. It wouldn't be pretty, and it definitely wouldn't be the most inspiring option. But if New York gets bad news in the coming days, Flacco may be more credible than his age suggests.
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This story was originally published March 12, 2025 at 11:18 AM.