NFL analysts offer warning to New York Giants about quarterback obsession

On Tuesday we discussed the question of whether or not getting the right quarterback during the 2025 offseason would fix the downtrodden New York Giants, who have been mostly abysmal since winning the 2011 Super Bowl.

The answer is that, while there are many other things that also need to be addressed, of course the right quarterback would go a long way toward finally getting the Giants back on the right track.

Can they get that guy? Do they have the infrastructure both organizationally and on the field to support that quarterback and make him successful?

A pair of NFL analysts recently offered warnings worth discussing about that.

Tiki Barber warned that the situation has to be right for a young quarterback to succeed.

“I’m telling you because I’ve seen it, and by the way, all of you have seen it as well. If you put a quarterback in a crappy situation. A terrible coaching, team, depth, whatever situation they are going to fail,” Barber said. “When you put young quarterbacks in bad situations good things don’t happen.

“The Giants have to have a good situation to put whoever that next quarterback is in. Stop obsessing about the quarterback. Even if he’s the greatest thing in the world and you put him in a terrible situation he is going to fail. Period.”

Do the Giants have the right situation?

That’s a good question. Like Barber, we always maintain that situation matters in the development of a young quarterback. It matters for Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, C.J. Stroud and Bryce Young. It matters for Bo Nix. It mattered for Daniel Jones during his time in New York.

If the Giants keep GM Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll they will enter next season with decision-makers whose job security is on a short leash. If they replace both, they will be entering yet another rebuild where the roster is likely to be torn apart and rebuilt over a period of years. If they simply fire Daboll, will they find the right head coach to nurture a young quarterback?

I have said before that what matters most about the decisions ownership has to make regarding Schoen and Daboll is doing what is in the best interests of whoever the next young quarterback is going to be. Question is, what is that?

Do the Giants have a supporting cast on the field that can make life easier for a young quarterback? They have a star wide receiver in Malik Nabers, who needs better quarterback play to showcase all of what he can do. They have a good running back in Tyrone Tracy Jr.

What else do they have? They desperately need young talent on the offensive line. They need more at wide receiver. They need more playmakers on defense. They need interior defensive linemen who can help Dexter Lawrence.

ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky believes the Giants, regardless of who the decision-makers are, have work to do before they are ready to support a young quarterback.

“This is an organization or a football team that I grew up with that was good, and they were good because they were a line of scrimmage organization,” Orlovsky said. “Even when they went on their runs with Eli Manning I remember a David Diehl, a Chris Snee and a Shaun O’Hara. I don’t care who your quarterback is they’ve got to rebuild their line of scrimmage more than anything.

“I remember this being a blue-collar, tough, physical football team. That’s when they were good. They’re not that anymore. Before they figure out who the quarterback is gonna be they’ve gotta get back to being physical at the line of scrimmage.”

Valid points by both. Can the Giants get the quarterback and improve the situation around him at the same time? Or, does getting the quarterback need to wait until they fix the line of scrimmage and the rest of the situation?

Questions without easy answers, and why the Giants have painted themselves into such a difficult corner to get out of.