Sam Darnold #14 of the Minnesota Vikings prepares to snap the ball during the third quarter against the Los Angeles Rams (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Former New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz believes his former team should target the "perfect QB" to go get in free agency.
The Giants will be looking for a new franchise quarterback this offseason after releasing Daniel Jones midway through the 2024 season. However, rather than draft Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders, Cruz believes they should go after Minnesota Vikings QB Sam Darnold, who is coming off of a breakthrough season.
In Cruz's ideal scenario, he says the Giants should target Darnold as a stopgap quarterback before ultimately selecting Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning in the 2026 NFL Draft to be their longtime future franchise quarterback.
"I think he's the perfect QB to go get," says Cruz in a one-on-one interview with RG of Darnold while speaking on behalf of his partnership with Finish Ultimate. "You obviously have to pay him a little bit, but I think from a cap perspective, we can afford him. I think he could come in and then Arch Manning comes in (in 2026). He doesn't necessarily have to start right away, he can learn from a guy like Sam Darnold."
According to Spotrac, the Giants have $53 million in available cap space, the 14th-highest in the NFL. Both of New York's top remaining quarterbacks from the 2024 season, Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito, are free agents this offseason. That means the Giants will likely be starting from scratch at the quarterback position, which is probably welcomed considering they're coming off of a 3-14 campaign.
Although Darnold's season came to a screeching halt in the Vikings' 27-9 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the wild card round of the playoffs, he was still one of the top quarterbacks in the league during the 2024 season. The former No. 3 overall pick was named to his first Pro Bowl after leading the Vikings to a 14-2 campaign. He also ranked in the top six in most major passing categories, including touchdowns, passing yards and passer rating.
It also doesn't hurt that Darnold has been through the pressure of playing in New York, doing so with the New York Jets as a high draft pick during the first three seasons of his career.
"Sam Darnold is an exceptional quarterback to learn from," says Cruz.
"Been through the gamut around the NFL, had successes and ups and downs. Has played in New York before and understands what it's like to succeed and not succeed in a city like New York. He's also seasoned now, so he can come in and make your team competitive and respectable because he understands how to play the game."
Cruz says in a best-case scenario, Darnold could be the "perfect candidate" as a stopgap quarterback and maybe even lead the Giants to a playoff win.
Outside of Darnold, the veteran quarterbacks on the free agency market are thin, with Justin Fields likely the next best candidate. The Atlanta Falcons' Kirk Cousins will likely also be available on the trade market, though it's safe to assume the Giants probably don't want to inherit the remainder of a declining 36-year-old quarterback’s $180 million deal.
Cruz continues to preach the value that a veteran quarterback like Darnold could bring to New York, including being a mentor to Manning.
"He understands what it's like to play in New York," says Cruz. "He understands that he's going to have bad games, but he's going to power through it. I think he'll be a great guy for someone like Arch to learn behind and really understand what it takes to be a professional in this league. He also has his two uncles to learn from [Eli and Peyton] as well."
Victor Cruz on Daniel Jones' Future in NFL and with Vikings
Darnold's current backup, Jones, could play the veteran quarterback role to J.J. McCarthy next season. It was the role Darnold was supposed to play this year before the first-round pick suffered a season-ending injury during the preseason.
While Jones will obviously have to resurrect his career after falling out of favor in New York, Cruz believes that he can emulate what Darnold just did it with the Vikings. It's worth nothing that Jones was the No. 2 pick in the same draft class that Darnold was a part of.
The Jones situation clearly wasn't working out after he signed a $160 million deal during the 2023 offseason, with the former No. 6 overall pick going 3-13 in his 16 starts during the 2023 and 2024 seasons. He also threw just 10 touchdowns against 13 interceptions while being sacked 59 times. Jones' 76.6 passer rating since 2023 was the lowest among all starting quarterbacks outside of Anthony Richardson.
"I think it was a tough decision for them to make, to really move on from him and figure out what to do," says Cruz of releasing Jones midway through the season. "I know that didn't leave a good taste in the fans' mouths during the year when they made that decision. It comes with the territory of owning the football team, right? Making those tough decisions and living with them and standing on them even when people on the outside may not agree with you."
DJ Siddiqi is a sports reporter who focuses on football, basketball and pro wrestling. He has covered some of the biggest sporting events, including the NBA Finals and Wrestlemania and often interviews high-profile athletes on a weekly basis. Siddiqi has interviewed the likes of Dan Marino, Emmitt Smith, Shaquille O'Neal, Tony Hawk and Giannis Antetokounmpo. His previous experience includes working as a lead NBA writer at CBS Sports and 247 Sports in addition to working as a beat reporter covering the NFL and the Denver Broncos at Bleacher Report. Follow Siddiqi for exclusive one-on-one interviews and analysis on key topics in sports
