Insider links Giants with big-name rookie QB, potential veteran option

It's hardly a secret that how New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen address the club's quarterback situation could ultimately determine if the two are still employed by the organization at this time next year. 

For a mailbag published on Wednesday, Giants/NFL insider Connor Hughes of SNY indicated that Schoen could target Colorado Buffaloes star signal-caller Shedeur Sanders this spring. 

"The talk around league circles has been Sanders," Hughes said about which to-be rookie quarterback Schoen prefers. "It’s been that way since before the season ended. The Giants actually had a completed report on Sanders ready if he declared for last year’s draft. He would have been a target in the second or third round."

The Giants currently hold the third overall pick of the upcoming draft, and it's far too early to say if Sanders will be available at No. 3. For a mock draft published on Wednesday, The Athletic's Dane Brugler predicted that the Tennessee Titans will grab Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward with the first choice and that Sanders will fall to the Giants. Hughes mentioned that "several league sources" recently said neither Sanders nor Ward would be "better than the fourth-best (QB) option in last year’s class." 

Before the Giants make a final call regarding their interest in Sanders or Ward, Big Blue will almost certainly acquire a so-called "bridge option" to serve as its 2025 Week 1 QB1. Hughes revealed that the name he'd "keep an eye on" is Kirk Cousins of the Atlanta Falcons. 

Cousins lost the starting job in Atlanta to 2024 first-round draft pick Michael Penix Jr. in December and likely will become a salary-cap casualty in March. He theoretically could sign a team-friendly deal with any club in free agency, but it's unclear how he feels about the Giants this winter. 

Previous stories linked Cousins with a Cleveland Browns team that also needs a starting quarterback for 2025. Cousins had Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski as his quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator when they were with the Minnesota Vikings in 2018 and 2019.

Interestingly, the Browns theoretically could lure Cousins to Cleveland and then take Sanders with the draft's second selection unless Schoen pulls off a blockbuster trade before the night of April 24 arrives. Then again, some think Cleveland could pass on Cousins and sign Aaron Rodgers if he's cut by the New York Jets in March.