The first preseason game for the New York Giants is in the books and already they are dealing with injuries at the quarterback position. After Daniel Jones played in just six games last season, the New York Giants went out and signed Quarterback Drew Lock on a one-year deal. Lock may now miss some time after starting in the preseason opener. While he did not look sharp in his limited game action against the Detroit Lions, Lock is expected to be on the sidelines for some time with a hip pointer and a strained oblique.
Despite the New York Giants and Head Coach Brian Daboll publicly saying that they won’t add a quarterback with Lock hurt, it may be necessary to do just that, especially with Jones’ injury history and coming off a torn ACL nine months ago. While there aren’t many known free agent quarterbacks left out on the market, these free signal-callers make the most sense for the Giants to sign if they end up going after another quarterback.
Matt Barkley
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Matt Barkley has been a journeyman in the NFL for longer than people realized. Barkley was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles back in 2013 in the fourth round and has since been with 11 teams, one of them being with the New York Giants, for just over a month last year. Bringing Barkley back even just for some insurance is not a terrible idea.
Since Barkley was with the Giants for a little while back in 2023, he has a connection with Daboll and General Manager Joe Schoen. Daboll was the Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator from 2018 to 2020 when Barkley was on the Bills roster and Schoen was the assistant general manager as well from the 2018 to 2021 season. So, there certainly is a connection there.
Even though Daboll said that the Giants will not sign another quarterback as they have confidence Drew Lock will be back soon, bringing in a guy like Barkley could be a good move by the New York Giants. He was there last year despite it being just a month, and Barkley is also familiar with Daboll’s offensive schemes. It may be unlikely, but should not be ignored.
Ryan Tannehill
This is probably the best remaining free agent quarterback left on the market. Ryan Tannehill saw his career revive in a major way when he got traded to the Tennessee Titans in 2019. He took Tennessee to the playoffs in three of the five seasons he was there as well as being a win away from a Super Bowl appearance in 2020. Even though injuries have derailed his career the now 36-year-old is still on the market. This could be a low-risk move the New York Giants can make.
Tannehill has proven to be a solid starting quarterback in the league even though his tenure with the team that drafted him, the Miami Dolphins, did not work out. The former Texas A&M Aggie was putting up career numbers during the latter end of his career with the Titans when he took over as the starter. Tannehill had 74 touchdown passes during his five-year run with the Titans with 2020 being his best season to date passing for over 3,800 yards with 33 touchdowns to just seven interceptions.
Injuries though have been a problem as of late for Tannehill, especially his last two seasons with lingering ankle injuries. Still, the Giants need some sure insurance at the quarterback position with no timetable for Lock’s return. Tannehill could provide just that for the New York Giants.
Trevor Siemian
Trevor Siemian’s NFL career has not worked out for him since he entered the NFL as a starter in 2016. He has bounced around the league and being a starter in the NFL just was not meant to be for Siemian. However, with Siemian still on the free agent market with the start of the NFL season less than a month away, why shouldn’t the New York Giants bring him in?
Siemian has been with seven teams now and is still a relatively young quarterback who has shown flashes of being a solid quarterback. During his second stint with the New York Jets last season, Siemian while not putting up huge numbers, led them to two wins in the team’s final three games towards the end of last season. He spent most of the 2023 season on the practice squad.
There is certainly no harm in bringing in Trevor Siemian. He’s been a starter in the NFL before and it could provide the New York Giants with much-needed depth at the quarterback position. The New York Giants visit the Houston Texans on Saturday for the second game of the preseason.
