There is no such thing as an offseason for the NFL. For front office personnel and coaching staff, chasing a Super Bowl is a 24-hour a day, seven-days per week pursuit. Waking up in the middle of night to sit in front of a laptop and make notes on player contracts, player evaluations, and designing offensive and defensive formations is common.
The annual NFL Combine, which began on Monday in Indianapolis, Indiana, is a gathering that has elements of the G7 Summit. The Jets’ and Giants’ contingent of executives and coaches in attendance have much work to do while at the Combine. The Jets have not made the playoffs for 14 straight seasons, the longest futility streak among all the teams in the four major North American sports leagues (NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL), and the Giants have only two playoff appearances in the last nine seasons.
Both teams have quarterback issues in a quarterback-centric league. It is the most important position in all of sports. Without a good quarterback, teams have no chance of being a playoff contender, no less vying for a Super Bowl. The Jets and 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers parted ways earlier this month after a failed two-season marriage and the Giants moved on from 2019 first-round pick (No. 6 overall) Daniel Jones, releasing him this past November after six seasons as their starting QB when the 27-year-old fell short of establishing himself as a capable successor to two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning.
As of today, 35-year-old Tyrod Taylor is the No. 1 quarterback on the Jets’ depth chart and 28-year-old Drew Lock, who began last season as Jones’ backup and ended it as the Giants’ starter, still holds that spot. Rumors abound at the Combine. There have been reports the Giants are exploring trading for Los Angeles Rams starter Mathew Stafford, who is seeking a contract extension from the Rams beyond its 2026 expiration. Although is 37, he is still among the game’s best QBs.
The Giants have third pick in the draft. Meetings at the Combine and further face-to-face sit downs with Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Houston’s Cam Ward, along with workouts at the players’ respective Pro Days for the consensus top two QB prospects in April’s draft, will weigh heavily on whether Giants general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll will select one of them.
As for the Jets, who have the No. 7 pick, the organization’s new tandem of general manager Darren Mougey and head coach Aaron Glenn have emphasized that Taylor is a viable short-term solution in the process of eventually securing their long-term Super Bowl caliber quarterback.
“Listen, Tyrod’s a good player, we know that,” Glenn said on Tuesday speaking with the media at the Combine. “I think he’s won almost 50% of his games, so he’s a guy that’s been in this league for a long time so to answer that question (regarding who will be our starter), it’s hard to because draft and free agency haven’t come yet.”