The best result is now probably for the team to lose as many games as possible, get a high draft pick and select the QB of the future with it. However, despite promises from ownership, head coach Brian Daboll may not survive a winless (or near-winless) stretch run after starting the campaign 2-8.
"I would say that [Giants general manager] Joe Schoen is probably safer right now than Brian Daboll," Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports reported on Nov. 20. "I think Brian, as it's been made clear to me, is coaching for his job over the last 7 weeks."
Schoen is just as responsible as Daboll, if not more so, for extending Jones on a four-year deal worth $160 million in March of last year and subsequently deciding not to bring back star running back Saquon Barkley this offseason -- both disastrous moves for the Giants offense and the team as a whole.
Still, if Daboll is the one on the hot seat, he may want -- nay demand -- an upgrade over Tommy DeVito and Drew Lock under center. The best way for the team to win is to feed star rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers, and the best way to do that is with a veteran QB seasoned in the art of maximizing talented pass catchers.
Ryan Tannehill is probably the best option currently on the market, though Aaron Rodgers could soon come available as well. Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported on Saturday, Nov. 23, that Rodgers doesn't want to return to the New York Jets organization next season and could end up released before even this year is out.
"I'm told no decisions have been made yet, but it appears increasingly likely that the four-time MVP, who is banged up, could be placed on injured reserve or possibly benched over the next few weeks, signaling the end of his disastrous time with the Jets," Russini wrote. "Some around the league say they won't be surprised if Rodgers is cut in-season."
If Rodgers hits the market, the Giants should pounce -- assuming that winning a few games across their last seven contests is actually the franchise's goal. And at 2-8 already, it isn't as though Rodgers would vault New York out of the position to make a play for a rookie QB somewhere in, or at least near, the top 10 of the draft come April.
Were the NFL to hold the draft today, the Giants would select No. 3 overall. The franchise should be able to secure one of the top signal callers in the country in that range. Meanwhile, Rodgers could potentially start for the remainder of this season and perhaps serve as a bridge to the QB of the future in 2026.
The best-case-scenario result would be a few wins over the last two months of 2024, a boost in team morale, Daboll keeping his job and the Giants returning to some form of prominence with Rodgers under center while a talented rookie waits in the wings.
Related: Lock Reacts to Giants Benching Jones