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Cam Ward

Titans Rumors: Sneed, Latham, Restrepo

May 23rd, 2025 at 9:24pm CST by Ely Allen

The Titans’ investment in former Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed really failed to deliver dividends in 2024. After sending a third-round pick to Kansas City for the 28-year-old defender, Tennessee only saw five games out of Sneed before a quad injury knocked him out for the remainder of the season. What’s worse is that Sneed played poorly in those five contests, grading out as the team’s worst defender, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). If he had played enough games, his defensive grade would’ve been the worst for any cornerback in the league, per PFF.

What’s even worse, Sneed was involved this offseason in a civil trial stemming from an incident that led to an aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge. Sneed was accused of being involved with shots being fired at the plaintiff which struck his vehicle. An unnamed associate was also included in the allegation.

The civil case was ordered to mediation today, according to Paul Kuharsky, as Sneed’s attorney argued that “the alleged acts, if any, were performed by John Doe without any assistance, encouragement, or direction by L’Jarius Sneed.” Sneed will still see a grand jury date at some point in the future for the criminal side of the case.

In the meantime, head coach Brian Callahan spoke on Sneed’s recovery to reporters, per Titans senior writer/editor Jim Wyatt. Callahan claimed that Sneed is progressing as expected and is in a good spot. That being said, the team is still having to work to manage his workload through practices, and there doesn’t appear to be a timeline yet for his return.

Here are a couple other recent rumors coming out of Nashville:

  • Callahan also spoke on the fitness of second-year right tackle JC Latham, per Wyatt. Latham’s weight was a noted issue at times during his rookie season, but he seems to be turning things around in Year 2. According to Callahan, Latham “really committed himself to getting his weight at the range that he needed to get it to.” Callahan went on to say that Latham “looks great, he’s in great shape, he’s moving really well.”
  • Lastly, one could have assumed as much, but new Titans quarterback Cam Ward confirmed earlier reports from Jordan Schultz of FOX Sports that he advocated for the team to sign his favorite target with the Hurricanes, Xavier Restrepo, after he fell out of the draft. In the video provided by AtoZ Sports Nashville, Ward claims to have advocated for Restrepo to every team that talked to him throughout the draft process.

Titans Sign No. 1 Overall Pick Cam Ward

May 23rd, 2025 at 5:08pm CST by Sam Robinson

MAY 23: Ward’s rookie deal with the Titans includes a $32.159MM signing bonus, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson. Training camp roster bonuses have also become a common way to accelerate the payment schedule of rookie contracts, and Ward’s is no different. He will receive $2.054MM in 2026, $4.159MM in 2027, and $6.264MM in 2028 via training camp roster bonuses, all fully-guaranteed.

MAY 21: The rookie-scale system’s latest top contract, Cam Ward has put pen to paper with the Titans. The No. 1 overall pick is now signed through 2028, as the team announced the signing.

Ward’s rookie deal is worth $48.75MM. The pact is fully guaranteed and will include a fifth-year option for the 2029 season. Ward is currently splitting reps with the QB he is almost certain to supplant as Tennessee’s starter (Will Levis), but the Titans’ Week 1 Denver trip will presumably see the prized rookie at the controls.

Owners made it a point to curb excessive first-round salaries in the 2011 CBA. To illustrate how far ahead the quarterbacks chosen first overall under the pre-rookie-scale system were, Sam Bradford‘s rookie contract checked in at five years and $78MM in 2010. That contract was not fully guaranteed, but it still locked in Bradford to $50MM at signing. With the rookie scale in place in 2011, however, Cam Newton‘s draft slot commanded a four-year, $22MM accord. While Newton landed a lucrative Panthers extension later on, he trailed Bradford, Matthew Stafford and even JaMarcus Russell by a considerable margin out of the blocks.

Ward’s contract checks in much higher than Caleb Williams‘ Bears terms ($39.49MM), and this one will likely be the No. 1 draft slot’s last south of $50MM. Arch Manning (or the passer chosen first in the event the Texas prodigy stays in Austin) will be in line to clear that bar for the first time since Bradford. As for Ward, he will attempt to justify the significant leap he made during his final college season.

Famously going from zero-star recruit who began his college career at Division I-FCS Incarnate Word to a player who had distanced himself from the rest of the QBs in the 2025 class, Ward played two seasons at Washington State and finished his collegiate run at Miami. Completing 67.2% of his passes, Ward amassed over 4,300 passing yards and a 39:7 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Those figures earned him ACC Player of the Year honors (among others), and his arm strength and playmaking ability created distance from the likes of Jaxson Dart and Shedeur Sanders in this year’s class. The Titans met with Ward by mid-March and had settled on him early, arranging a second meeting and then rebuffing Browns and Giants attempts to trade up to No. 1.

Ward, 23 on Sunday, will continue a recent trend of QBs garnering considerable experience in college before being chosen No. 1. Williams turned 23 last season, while Jayden Daniels, Bo Nix and Michael Penix Jr. played age-24 seasons as rookies. The extensive seasoning benefited the Commanders and Broncos, who saw their respective draft choices finish first and third in the Offensive Rookie of the Year voting. Ward started four college seasons during his three-school journey, and the Titans will attempt to recover after some early-round QB misfires.

Levis’ rough sophomore season led the Titans to the No. 1 overall draft slot, and the team needed its Ryan Tannehill reclamation project after 2015 No. 2 overall pick Marcus Mariota did not become a long-term franchise QB. Tennessee’s 2011 first-rounder, Jake Locker, was the team’s primary starter for just two seasons — before retiring after Year 4 — and 2006 No. 3 overall choice Vince Young‘s early-career promise fizzled. (2022 third-rounder Malik Willis is playing out his rookie deal in Green Bay, after being traded last summer.)

The Titans have not featured a true long-term QB option since Steve McNair‘s 11-season run. They will hope Ward can play well enough to secure a second contract. While the Titans did pay Tannehill after his 2019 turnaround, they have not extended a passer they have drafted since McNair.

Cam Ward, Will Levis Splitting Reps At Titans Practices

May 20th, 2025 at 6:27pm CST by Ben Levine

The Titans are clearly committed to Cam Ward as their long-term quarterback, but head coach Brian Callahan isn’t rushing into naming his Week 1 starter. As ESPN’s Turron Davenport writes, Ward evenly split reps with Will Levis as the Titans opened Phase 2 of their offseason activities.

Callahan acknowledged that we’ll likely see a change in the snap distribution when the offense begins participating in seven-on-seven drills. At that time, the number-one overall pick will presumably find himself atop the depth chart, but even that major indication may not be enough for Callahan to name a definitive starter.

The coach told reporters that it’s premature to name a Week 1 starter considering all the progress that needs to be made over the next three months. Instead, Callahan made it clear that he wants his quarterbacks to simply focus on what’s ahead of them at practices vs. focusing on the season opener.

As Davenport notes, Callahan may be a bit gun-shy from last year, when the first-year head coach quickly named Levis as his starter. A midseason injury helped the Titans temporarily pivot to Mason Rudolph, but the coach understood he didn’t do anyone any favors by proclaiming Levis his QB1 before practices even started.

So, while Ward is all but guaranteed to be the starter for the 2025 campaign, Callahan won’t make any declarations before he has a full understanding of his depth. While Davenport notes that a QB competition between the number-one pick and the incumbent starter could lead to a “contentious situation,” Callahan praised both of his signal callers for their approach to early practices.

“They’ve both handled it really well,” Callahan said. “I’ve been pleased with their demeanor and approach. Will has done a really nice job getting better at the things he needs to get better at. Cam has done a really nice job of integrating himself. … They’ve both done a really nice job getting up to speed where they needed to.”

Giants Made Draft-Day Attempt To Acquire No. 1 Pick

May 8th, 2025 at 10:15pm CST by Adam La Rose

To no surprise, the Giants were one of two teams which exited the opening night of this year’s draft with a quarterback, with the Titans being the other. Just before Cam Ward officially became the top pick, the teams discussed a trade.

Giants general manager Joe Schoen called counterpart Mike Borgonzi to discuss the first overall pick, as shown in the debut episode of the team’s Giants Life documentary (video link). The conversation proved to be rather brief, with Schoen remaining convinced the Titans turned aside the last-minute trade interest to select Ward. Minutes later, they did just that.

Moving out of the No. 1 slot was seen as a distinct possibility early in the offseason as a result of Tennessee’s myriad roster needs and the less-than-stellar nature of this year’s QB class. Over time, though, Ward distanced himself as the top option for signal-callers and a strong showing during the pre-draft process convinced the Titans to stand pat. That left suitors for the top selections – such as the Giants – to move in a different direction during the draft.

Just like Cleveland (which originally owned the second overall pick), New York (No. 3) showed interest well before the start of the draft in moving up to the top spot. A report from March linked both the Giants and Jets to pursuing a trade for the No. 1 pick, but by the start of April it appeared Schoen and Co. were convinced doing so would not be possible. That proved to be the case, albeit not without a last-minute attempt on the part of the Giants.

Schoen left the door open to a quarterback being selected third overall, although by the time edge rusher Abdul Carter heard his name called that move came as no surprise. After retaining the No. 3 selection, New York ultimately swung a deal to move back into the Day 1 order and select Jaxson Dart 25th overall. The Ole Miss product will spend his rookie season on a depth chart which also includes free agent additions Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston.

Dart gained traction as a first-round prospect in the build-up to the draft, and he found himself the second passer to come off the board. Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll have their potential long-term answer under center in the fold as a result while their respective tenures remain a question after three years at the helm. It will be interesting to see how Dart’s New York tenure unfolds against the backdrop of the team’s continued efforts to acquire Ward prior to selecting him.

Titans Select QB Cam Ward First Overall

April 24th, 2025 at 7:16pm CST by Adam La Rose

To no surprise, the Titans have used the top pick in tonight’s draft to add their projected franchise quarterback. Cam Ward has come off the board first overall.

Early in the pre-draft process, the possibility of Tennessee trading down was raised. As usual, calls came in for the top selection, with efforts on that front continuing until hours before the start of the draft. New general manager Mike Borgonzi made it clear last month he would not pass up the opportunity to draft a ‘generational talent,’ something many took as a reference to two-way star Travis Hunter. Instead of taking the 2024 Heisman winner, though, selecting Ward has long been viewed as the likely outcome.

Tennessee lined up pre-draft visits with a number of top prospects (including fellow quarterback Shedeur Sanders), but the team did plenty of homework on Ward – including a private workout in late March. The Titans did not go to those lengths in Sanders’ case, and they canceled a workout which had been scheduled with Hunter. Since that point, the expectation has remained that Ward would come off the board first. The consensus All-American will be tasked with handling QB1 duties upon arrival in Nashville.

A zero-star recruit, Ward’s college career began at Incarnate Word before he spent a pair of seasons at Washington State. In 2024, he played at Miami and enjoyed his most accurate campaign to date. Completing 67.2% of his passes, Ward amassed over 4,300 passing yards and a 39:7 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Those figures earned him ACC Player of the Year honors (among others) and – coupled with his athletic upside – made him a logical target for the top pick in a QB class not held in the same regard as those of the recent past.

Ward, 23 next month, represents the first quarterback selected No. 1 overall in Titans/Oilers history (the franchise used the top pick on defensive end John Matuszak in 1973 and running back Earl Campbell in 1978). The post-Ryan Tannehill era under center saw Will Levis take over starting duties, but he has not developed as hoped. The 33rd overall pick in the 2023 draft has two seasons left on his rookie contract and could be dealt this weekend. Ward, meanwhile, joins an offense which saw two free agent investments along the O-line this spring and, yesterday, the addition of veteran wideout Tyler Lockett.

Head coach Brian Callahan was hired last offseason in no small part based on his track record with developing quarterbacks. Moving on from Levis (or at least relegating him to backup duties) would confirm Ward’s position as Tennessee’s investment under center for 2025 and beyond. If the team is to find stability on the sidelines and in the front office moving forward, success on the field will be key. Ward will no doubt be a central figure in that effort.

Combine Meeting, Workouts Sold Titans On QB Cam Ward

April 15th, 2025 at 10:01pm CST by Ely Allen

There’s plenty to like about projected No. 1 overall 2025 NFL Draft pick Cam Ward. The Hurricanes quarterback led the NCAA in passing touchdowns with 39 while only tossing seven picks and finished second in passing yards with 4,313. His effortless, no-panic playing style and ability to turn disaster plays into big gains is enough to draw the eye of any NFL scout. According to Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com, though, it was the pre-draft process that sold the Titans on the Miami passer.

Following a rough, 3-14 2024 campaign, head coach Brian Callahan made it known that competition was likely on the way for incumbent starter Will Levis. The team sent staff to the Senior Bowl, where Shedeur Sanders was doing meetings while Jaxson Dart and Tyler Shough competed at practice. They even came away from the event thinking Sanders would be a great fit for Callahan’s system.

Then came the NFL Scouting Combine, at which NFL prospects are given 18 minutes to converse with NFL teams for an initial meeting. Ward’s initial meeting in Indianapolis with the team went so well that Tennessee quickly made sure to schedule him for a top-30 visit, which they would also do with Sanders, Travis Hunter, and Abdul Carter. The Titans made sure to bring the quarterbacks in before the start of free agency, so they could be well-informed on their plan of attack.

Ward made his way out to Nashville on March 7, five days before the opening of free agency. Per McCormick, Ward “wowed them…with his confident alpha personality…his astute knowledge of the game and his detailed understanding of the QB position.” In his first opportunity to spend significant time with the team picking first overall in late-April and talk in depth about football, Ward seemingly “knocked it out of the park.”

All the while, the quarterback dominos were falling in free agency as Tennessee never really fully committed to pursuing a veteran quarterback market that contained two former Callahan quarterbacks — Matthew Stafford and Derek Carr. Kirk Cousins stayed put in Atlanta, and all of the sudden, the only options left were players like Sam Darnold, Aaron Rodgers, and Russell Wilson, and that felt unappealing to the Titans staff. Still, the team was attracted to the idea of signing a passer like Darnold then being able to add a premier talent like Carter or Hunter at No. 1 overall.

This was the thought process Tennessee brought into Coral Gables as they attended Miami’s pro day on March 24. They sent not only coaches and evaluators but also their team beat writer and video staff to dictate and capture every interaction, including a dinner with the team the night before. Ward followed up being wined and dined with a pro day that showed him make just about every pass necessary for the position, exhibiting himself as a natural thrower of the ball. To quote Ward himself, his performance seemed to “solidify” the Titans decision.

Five days later, Ward participated in a private workout with much of the same team brass. This meeting also saw team owner Amy Adams Strunk appear to meet Ward in person. According to McCormick, the events of that private workout validated to those in attendance “who Ward is as a person and a quarterback,” and it seems that person is the future No. 1 overall pick.

Lots can certainly happen in just over a week, but Ward-to-Nashville seems to be one of the NFL draft’s worst kept secrets. We’ll find out next Thursday if Ward is, indeed, the future of the quarterback position in Tennessee.

NFL Announces 17 Prospects Attending NFL Draft

April 14th, 2025 at 6:30pm CST by Ben Levine

There will be 17 draft prospects waiting in the green room to hear their name announced next week. The NFL announced the players who will attend the first round next Thursday night in Green Bay:

When players commit to attending the first round of the draft, their respective camps have often been given some kind of assurance that they’ll be selected within the top-32 picks. Of course, that’s not a prerequisite, and as we’ve seen many times, there are some overly-confident prospects who subsequently endure the very-public waiting game.

Per usual, the most notable inclusions surround the QB position. Cam Ward is the favorite to go first-overall, and Shedeur Sanders (who is absent from this list) is also expected to be selected at some point in the first round. After that, the position is pretty uncertain, and that could lead to some awkward moments for the other QBs who decided to attend.

Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart and Alabama’s Jalen Milroe have firmly established themselves in that next tier of QB prospects, and recent reports have indicated that they should be at least Day 2 picks. There haven’t been any definitive reports about their Day 1 candidacy, and while we shouldn’t read too much into the list of attendees, it is notable that both prospects believe they have a shot of going in the top-32 selections.

Browns, Giants Have Inquired About Trading For No. 1 Pick; Titans Never Considered Sam Darnold, Aaron Rodgers?

April 13th, 2025 at 11:15am CST by Rory Parks

APRIL 13: Zac Jackson of The Athletic (subscription required) says the Titans appear sold on Ward. League sources have praised Ward’s maturity and the steady improvements he made over the course of his collegiate career, which leads clubs to believe he can thrive at the professional level.

Russini, on a recent episode of her Scoop City podcast, says it would take an historic offer to convince Tennessee to trade out of the No. 1 overall spot and forego its shot at Ward (video link). Russini adds that the reports of the Titans’ faith in Ward are real and are not part of the club’s effort to drive up the price for the top pick in the draft.

APRIL 6: The Browns and Giants, both still in need of a long-term quarterback despite offseason bridge additions, have inquired about trading up with the Titans to obtain the No. 1 overall pick in this month’s draft, per Jeff Howe of The Athletic (subscription required). We had previously heard Tennessee was fielding calls on that front, and it only makes sense that Cleveland (which presently holds the No. 2 overall pick) and New York (No. 3) would at least see what it would take to make a swap and put themselves in position to land Miami quarterback Cam Ward, the top QB in the 2025 class.

Less than two months ago, many around the league believed the rebuilding Titans would look to trade down, and the Giants were arguably the team most connected to a possible move up the board. The Browns, meanwhile, have been more closely linked to a Kirk Cousins pursuit than a trade for the No. 1 selection, with GM Andrew Berry recently confirming he is unlikely to swing a deal with Tennessee.

Interestingly, Howe says the Titans have not even determined what sort of compensation they would require to move down the board, which further strengthens the prevailing notion that they will select Ward with the top pick. And, contrary to pre-free agency rumors on the matter, Howe says Tennessee never got involved in the Sam Darnold sweepstakes, and he confirms the same is true of Aaron Rodgers. Of course, that represents yet another sign that Ward is Nashville-bound.

Recent reporting has pegged Cleveland as the likely destination for two-way phenom Travis Hunter, and the Giants – who have long been intrigued by Hunter’s collegiate teammate, quarterback Shedeur Sanders – would thus be in position to nab the polarizing passer. That would align with the belief that Big Blue is “praying” Cleveland takes a non-QB like Hunter so that Sanders will fall to No. 3.

On the other hand, New York is said to be “convinced” Cleveland – its professed comfort in having Kenny Pickett assume QB1 duties notwithstanding – will be the team to take Sanders. The Browns did indeed plan a private workout for Sanders, and according to Howe, the Giants will also meet again with the second-generation star prior to the draft.

With Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston having been added to the QB room in free agency, and with Wilson seemingly in the driver’s seat to serve as the starting quarterback regardless of how the draft unfolds, Giants GM Joe Schoen and HC Brian Daboll, who are both clinging to their jobs, may prefer to use the No. 3 pick on a player who can help the team win now rather than a high-upside project like Sanders. To that end, one team picking in the top-10 has told Howe that New York seems to be cooling on the idea of adding a signal-caller with its top draft choice. 

Considering the Browns-Hunter connections that have recently emerged — supported by Dianna Russini of The Athletic, who says she no longer believes Cleveland will take a QB (video link) — Howe says if the Giants do not select Sanders with the No. 3 pick, they would likely take Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter (assuming Ward and Hunter are off the board by that time). Carter is seen as one of the draft’s best all-around prospects, and New York is one of the four clubs (along with the Titans, Browns, and Patriots) that secured a visit with him. That said, as our Sam Robinson noted when it became clear the Giants would host Carter, they are the team on Carter’s itinerary that would seemingly need him the least, given the presence of Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux.

Carter is nonetheless a blue chip talent, and if Hunter is gone by the time the Giants are on the clock, and if New York does not believe Sanders represents the best player available at No. 3, there is logic in nabbing the Penn State product. Or, if they feel Carter is not a great fit, the Giants could trade down themselves in an effort to collect more draft capital.

QB Draft Rumors: Titans, Saints, Manning

April 4th, 2025 at 10:13pm CST by Ely Allen

As the 2025 NFL Draft continues to draw nearer and nearer, we continue to see momentum towards the Titans selecting Miami quarterback Cam Ward with the No. 1 overall pick. While the team’s president of football operations, Chad Brinker, spoke recently about the time the team has spent evaluating top options like Ward, Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter, or Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter, he also spoke about a patient, disciplined approach that could entail trading back.

“We are going to go through the whole thing, and I think probably here in two weeks, we’re going to have a good idea of where things are headed,” Brinker told the media, per Titans senior writer/editor Jim Wyatt. “And there’s a chance a team calls, and it makes you stop for a second and think, ‘Hey, we might need to consider this.’ But all of this is a part of being disciplined and being thorough.”

Dianna Russini of The Athletic seemed to imply that there are some in the building who are pushing for the team to trade out of the No. 1 overall spot. Russini, in a recent interview, talked about how those in the building with this view see so many question marks on the roster and so many positions of need. If a team gives them an offer that allows them to cover more ground in repairing what needs to be fixed, they feel as if the team needs to seriously consider that option.

Here are a few other rumors concerning quarterback prospects in the coming draft (and beyond):

  • In an interview on NFL Network yesterday, Ian Rapoport noted the Saints as a team that could go after a quarterback early in the draft. The team recently restructured Derek Carr‘s contract, ensuring that they wouldn’t be forced to draft a quarterback later this month, but Rapoport posits that New Orleans still needs a quarterback of the future. If necessary, the team could take a passer at ninth overall or trade back later into the first round, if they believe the guy they want will still be there. Notably, Jason La Canfora of The Washington Post told us today that officials from two NFL clubs have “suggested the Saints’ brass is…infatuated with Texas’s Quinn Ewers in the second round.”
  • La Canfora also cited a scout who believes that Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe is “almost a lock to go in the second round.” Milroe has been making the rounds in the pre-draft process with several teams who have needs at quarterback. La Canfora’s source cited Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson as examples of guys who didn’t necessarily have elite accuracy or passing ability coming out of the draft but, eventually, added those attributes to their natural athleticism. Milroe is viewed as an elite athlete, and if teams believe they can improve on accuracy and passing traits that, at this moment, don’t seem NFL-ready, there’s no reason he can’t hear his name called on Day 1 or 2.
  • One last thing La Canfora mentioned was that “nearly everyone in the scouting community has opined on the Giants being infatuated with Texas quarterback Arch Manning.” Manning is obviously the nephew of long-time New York franchise passer Eli Manning. The issue with this thought is that they would need to tank in 2025 to be in a position to select Arch, and even then, both Eli and his brother, Peyton Manning, spent four years in college. If Arch follows in his uncles’ footsteps, the Giants would have to tank for two straight seasons in order to have a chance at him. A lot can happen in two years, and given that Manning has only played in 12 collegiate games and made only two starts for the Longhorns, his draft stock could easily change over that time.

Latest On Giants’ QB Situation; Team Convinced Path To Cam Ward Is Closed?

April 2nd, 2025 at 10:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

Assembling an interesting quarterback room by signing Russell Wilson less than a week after bringing in Jameis Winston, the Giants have protected themselves — to a degree — ahead of a draft that would have otherwise featured a glaring need for the team. From a long-term perspective, however, that need remains going into the draft.

The Giants face the prospect of needing a young quarterback in a draft that could see its top two options — neither of which drawing prospect evaluations comparable to the 2024 class’ top arms — gone by the time the team goes on the clock at No. 3 overall. The Giants are “convinced” they will be unable to trade up for Cam Ward, Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacchiano notes, while some internal concerns appear to exist regarding Shedeur Sanders‘ availability.

Ward-Titans ties have strengthened in recent weeks, pointing the Miami prospect to Tennessee at No. 1. The Browns have been closely linked to Abdul Carter at No. 2, keeping the door open for a Giants-Sanders partnership. But Vacchiano adds the Giants “seem convinced” the Browns will take Sanders at 2. Although some around the league are not certain the Giants would even draft the two-year Colorado QB at 3, the team not having the option would create a situation where Wilson does not face a significant challenge for first-string work this season.

Rumblings about Giants interest in moving up to No. 1 surfaced around the Combine, a year after Joe Schoen began an effort to see what it would take to trade from No. 6 to No. 3 — an effort centered around Drake Maye. The Patriots passed on a strong offer, drafting Maye for themselves, and the Giants then punted on Michael Penix, J.J. McCarthy and Bo Nix. A year later, Schoen and Brian Daboll are clinging to their jobs. Decision-makers on hot seats — after three years tied to Daniel Jones — have a chance to take a quarterback, but this has long represented a shaky draft to need one. Even Ward has been mentioned as carrying value south of last year’s first-round sextet, and Vacchiano adds Ward might have been the only one of this year’s options who would have been a top-five QB in the 2024 class.

That may reflect Ward’s rising value, but the Giants are in a difficult spot. Sanders is drawing some second-round grades from teams, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweets, though that is not a universally held opinion regarding last year’s Division I-FBS completion percentage leader. Still, Sanders has seen significant questions emerge about his landing spot. Though, the second-generation NFL prospect is viewed as unlikely to fall out of the top 10.

For now, the Giants have Wilson set to assume the controls. Wilson received tremendous input into the Broncos’ 2022 offense, a doomed effort overseen by one-and-done HC Nathaniel Hackett, and drew the ire of Sean Payton on a few occasions in 2023. Wilson then clashed with Arthur Smith in Pittsburgh, though the veteran QB was still interested in a second Steelers contract before committing to the Giants on a one-year, $10.5MM deal. Daboll will now attempt to coach the potential Hall of Famer; the fourth-year Giants HC said (via the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy) he watched more than 7,500 Wilson plays to determine if the two could work together.

“He makes good decisions with the football,” Daboll said of Wilson, via The Athletic’s Dan Duggan. “He’s athletic. He’s a little bit older, so maybe not as athletic as ’13, ’14, but certainly has the ability to use his legs, extend plays, create explosive plays, phenomenal deep ball thrower.”

It does sound like Daboll will tweak his offense for Wilson, who received an offer during his mid-March visit, Schoen said (via the Post’s Paul Schwartz). It took 12 more days for the Giants to sign him, as they continued to wait on Aaron Rodgers. Although performance and playing-time incentives can vault the contract value to $21MM, Duggan adds Wilson checks in at barely $11MM on New York’s cap sheet due to the incentives being classified as not likely to be earned.

As could be expected, Schoen said (via NFL.com) the Giants will not rule out drafting a QB at 3. A report that surfaced just before their Wilson signing did indicate an openness to going elsewhere at 3 and circling back to quarterback later. While passing on Sanders would invite significant risk, the Giants would have other options in Jaxson Dart, Quinn Ewers, Tyler Shough, Jalen Milroe or Syracuse product Kyle McCord. Dart, however, would likely require the Giants to trade back into Round 1 from their No. 34 spot.

Regardless of the Giants’ plan, Schoen and Daboll will likely enter the season at risk of being fired before year’s end. If they cannot land Sanders — a player some around the league believe the team wants — the power brokers’ fates will largely rest on Wilson, who will turn 37 in November.

If the Giants do end up with Carter or Travis Hunter at 3, internal fears about the next regime reaping the benefits will surely affect this decision, calling into question John Mara‘s decision to stay with Schoen and Daboll after a 3-14 season. Then again, the Giants’ Dave Gettleman regime helped out Schoen’s by acquiring a 2022 first-round pick to move down (in the Justin Fields trade process) in 2021.

Winston is signed for two seasons, but his status could become murky if Sanders arrives. The Giants still guaranteed some of Winston’s 2026 salary; the 11th-year vet’s two-year, $8MM deal calls for a $5.25MM guarantee at signing, Duggan tweets. Elsewhere on the roster, Duggan adds the Greg Van Roten deal is worth $3.8MM ($2.45MM guaranteed at signing). Linebacker Chris Board signed a two-year, $5.7MM deal that features $3.55MM at signing, per Duggan.

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