NFL Rumors: 'Talk' That Aaron Rodgers Reached Out to Giants Amid Matthew Stafford Buzz

Amid his impending split from the New York Jets, future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers reportedly may be showing interest in joining the Jets' cohabitant at MetLife Stadium.

According to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, there has been some "talk" at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis that Rodgers reached out to the New York Giants to gauge their interest.

The 41-year-old Rodgers spent his first 18 NFL seasons with the Green Bay Packers, earning 10 Pro Bowl selections, four NFL MVP awards, one Super Bowl win and a Super Bowl MVP award.

When the Packers decided to move on from Rodgers in favor of Jordan Love, the Jets acquired Rodgers in a trade prior to the 2023 season, hoping he could bring them to the playoffs for the first time since 2010.

However, Rodgers suffered a torn Achilles during the Jets' first offensive series of the 2023 campaign and missed the remainder of the season.

He returned in time for the start of the 2024 season and started all 17 games, but the Jets went a highly disappointing 5-12.

Rodgers' numbers last season weren't bad on the surface, as he threw for 3,897 yards, 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. But as the Jets started anew with a fresh general manager and head coach this offseason, they announced this month that they will move on from Rodgers.

While Rodgers could retire if no team expresses interest in him, there are several quarterback-needy teams across the league, and not all of them will be able to find an answer through the draft.

The Giants own the No. 3 overall pick in the draft, but two other teams with a need at quarterback in the Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns pick ahead of them. Miami's Cam Ward and Colorado's Shedeur Sanders are the only quarterbacks who are considered surefire first-rounders, and it's unclear if the Giants even have either of them graded highly.

Regardless, the Giants have to add a quarterback in some manner this offseason after releasing Daniel Jones during the 2024 campaign.

Amid a report from ESPN's Sarah Barshop that the Los Angeles Rams gave quarterback Matthew Stafford's agent permission to speak with other teams to gauge his value, ESPN's Jordan Raanan reported Wednesday that it is "pretty clear" Stafford is the Giants' top priority at quarterback.

If the Rams trade Stafford, then L.A. could be an attractive landing spot for Rodgers since he recently said he wants to go to a good team that wants him, per Florio.

"Good" isn't the first adjective that comes to mind when describing the Giants, though. They went 3-14 last season and have missed the playoffs in seven of the past eight seasons.

However, if the Giants don't get Stafford, they could conceivably be among the only teams that want Rodgers, particularly if he would sign a relatively cheap contract.

It doesn't feel as though Rodgers is the missing piece who would take the Giants from a cellar dweller to a playoff contender next season, but the G-Men could do worse for a bridge quarterback, and Rodgers may not have many other options.