The Giants are in clear need of a quarterback, and Matthew Stafford has been a popular name brought up in potential solutions for Big Blue as the team looks to drastically improve in 2025.
Stafford is reportedly seeking a $50 million payday with his next contract, and while Joe Schoen wouldn’t comment on Stafford specifically, he made it clear that he wouldn’t shy away from making a big quarterback splash if he believes it would help the Giants reverse course following two disastrous seasons.
“I’m for taking swings at that position,” Schoen told reporters at the NFL Combine on Tuesday. “It’s the most important position and it’s hard to find them. So, keep swinging. Keep swinging at the position until you find one.”
Schoen added that he wants to get a “veteran” quarterback in the building for next season, which of course could mean a lot of different things, whether it be a big-time starter like Stafford or a veteran backup to a rookie that they draft with their top pick. Schoen wouldn’t tip his hand on who they have circled for the upcoming draft, but he did note that the Giants are considering all options.
“We’re open to everything. Move up, move back,” Schoen said. “We’re starting to put the puzzle together. We’re gonna look at all options to improve the roster going into 2025.
“Definitely believe in the evaluation process we have in place...reflecting on some of the seasons the quarterbacks we liked or didn’t like had, I believe in that. We’ll continue with that process the way we’ve done it in the past...we’re going through that process now.”
The Giants have been seeking a franchise quarterback since years before Schoen arrived, and whether it’s found through free agency or the draft, Schoen believes an improvement at the position will help quickly make Big Blue a better team.
“I think it is the most important position in football, and we have one on our roster right now,” Schoen said. “It’s important that, however we address it, that the play has to be better than what it’s been…we need better play out of that position than what we've had. That would help us.”
Owner John Mara told reporters after the season that he better be in a better mood come the end of next season, which means the Giants need to be a lot better in 2025. The pressure is on Schoen, but he believes the resources are there to make the necessary improvements to get New York to a place the owner will be pleased with. That luxury means the focus of blame will be heavily on Schoen if things once again go awry.
“We've got to be better, we were a three-win team,” Schoen said. “Where we are financially, from a salary cap health standpoint, we’re in good shape. We have premium draft capital…we have the resources to improve the roster. We made some decisions after the first year when we won, and they didn't work out. We’re where we are, and I feel like we have the resources to improve the roster. That’s what’s exciting this time of year.”