Kirk Cousins‘ experience in Atlanta seems to have served as a warning to other veteran quarterbacks around the league.
Giants general manager Joe Schoen revealed this week that multiple free agent QBs said they wouldn’t sign in New York unless the team promised not to take a quarterback in the first round of April’s draft.
Last offseason, the Falcons signed Cousins to a four-year, $180MM contract in free agency before using the No. 9 pick of the 2024 draft on Michael Penix. Cousins was surprised by the move and later revealed that he may have taken a different approach to free agency had he known of the team’s plans. Injury and turnover woes knocked the veteran out of the starting lineup late in the 2024 season and Penix replaced him as the team’s new franchise quarterback. Unable to secure a release or trade, Cousins is now set to spend the 2025 season as Penix’s backup.
Understandably, free agent quarterbacks looking for a new home this offseason wanted to avoid a similar situation. The Giants wouldn’t make any promises.
“We would not guarantee anybody that we wouldn’t draft a quarterback,” said Schoen in an appearance on WFAN (via Awful Announcing). For some free agents, that was a nonstarter, but Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll had yet to finish their evaluations of the 2025 draft class.
“When we sign these guys, it’s mid-March,” explained Schoen. “Daboll hadn’t seen some of the [prospects] throw yet, in-person. We hadn’t had private workouts with them. Some of them hadn’t been in our building yet.”
When Schoen and Daboll were hired in 2022, they inherited Daniel Jones from Dave Gettleman‘s time as GM. The Giants’ new regime declined to pick up Jones’ fifth-year option for the 2023 season, but Jones immediately put up the best season of his career and forced the team to give him an extension. After moving on from the 2019 first-rounder last year, Schoen and Daboll finally had a chance to pick their own quarterback prospect to draft and develop. They didn’t want to give up that opportunity to sign a veteran who would only serve as a short-term starter.
“We’re not going to promise that, because I don’t know who’s going to be there, we don’t know how the draft is going to unfold,” explained Schoen. “I’m never going to do that promise.”
The Giants ultimately agreed to terms with Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston in March before selecting Jaxson Dart with a first-round pick a month later. Wilson is expected to start this season with Winston serving as his primary backup and Dart learning the ropes from his veteran teammates.
Mid-March and the HC hadn’t seen some of the QB class throw in person yet?
…
BWAHAHAHA
Don’t believe:
1) politicians
2) people on reddit
3) women over 21
4) pro sports management
It must have taken great courage for Schoen to take a pass on free agents like Mike Glennon… or was it Nathan Peterman that demanded guarantees?
Sam Darnold?
After what happened in Pittsburgh last year, i would bet money that Fields was one of thd guys
Logically, i would assume that one of the guys he speaks of is now playing in the same stadium.
Cousins told the Giants “don’t draft a QB first round” … then they drafted Jaxson Dart from Eli Manning’s old school.
Dumb Jock Logic rules in the bubble alongside MetLife Stadium.
‘….Last offseason, the Falcons signed Cousins to a four-year, $180MM contract in free agency …’ Hard to feel bad for Kirk. I’d be a bench warmer for those numbers.