Revisiting Giants' Biggest “What-Ifs?” of the 2024 Season

Hindsight may be 20/20, but one can't help but wonder how different things might have been for the New York Giants if they had made other decisions/moves to help their roster.

New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The New York Giants' 100th anniversary season will go down as one of the worst in franchise history and one that has seen the team’s 10-game (and counting) losing streak throw the franchise into a state of disarray as this campaign approaches.

But looking back, one can’t help but wonder if the Giants had done a few things differently; maybe this disaster of a season might have turned out differently. As such, we give you six “what ifs” from the 2024 season.

What If…the Giants Had Re-signed RB Saquon Barkley

Let’s get one thing out of the way right now. Had Saquon Barkley been on the Giants this year, it’s highly unlikely he would be on his way toward challenging the NFL single-season rushing record currently held by former Rams star Eric Dickerson (2,105 yards) set in 1984, not if one considers the stark differences between the Giants’ offensive line and the Eagles.

But considering the uncertainty the Giants had at quarterback when they entered the 2024 season, how much more tolerable would watching an otherwise anemic offense be if Barkley were still on the team? 

Sure, the Giants have the promising young running back Tyrone Tracy, Jr. on the roster, a runner with much promise. And yes, the Giants needed to invest in their offensive line and pass rush.

That said, on Hard Knocks, general manager Joe Schoen contemplated offering Barkley a three-year deal with $25 million guaranteed, $1 million less than what Barkley ultimately signed for with the Eagles. (Schoen never made the offer after considering things and deciding to let Barkley test the market.)

We know how the story turned out. Barkley and the Eagles are heading to the postseason; the Giants are not. 

Barkley showed that all it takes is a strong offensive line to succeed, even if you’re over 27 for a running back. And the Giants are in a race for the first overall pick in the 2025 draft amid one of if not their worst seasons ever.  

What If…the Giants Had Signed a CB1 in Free Agency?

The Giants tried to land a veteran cornerback in free agency to pair with Deonte Banks. Among the veterans they were linked to included Darious Williams, Tre’Davious White, and Stephen Nelson.

Yet, for whatever reason (likely money), they weren’t able to do so, and by the time OTAs rolled around, they were waxing on enthusiastically about third-year Cor’Dale Flott and all the confidence they had in him to be a starter.

The problem, though, is Flott couldn’t stay healthy and didn’t exactly lock down the starting job in camp, competing with now-former cornerback Nick McCloud for the job.  Flott is ranked 54th out of 85 cornerbacks with at least 300 coverage snaps.

As injuries began to infiltrate this group, the Giants actually had to bring back Adoree Jackson, whom they had moved on from after the previous season.

What If…the Giants had held an open quarterback competition? 

The Giants briefly flirted with adding quarterback Russell Wilson after the Broncos released him, and they probably could have had him for a song and a dance, given that the Broncos still owed Wilson money. 

So why not roll the dice? Only Joe Schoen knows for sure, but there were likely two reasons. 

The first is that the Giants brass (Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll) told anyone who asked that Daniel Jones, who was recovering from a torn ACL suffered the year prior, would be the starter. 

By not at least promising a competition, who could blame Wilson for telling the Giants, “Thanks but no thanks”? 

The second one is that the Giants invested a minimum of $5 million guaranteed in Drew Lock to be Jones's backup and likely didn’t want to invest similar money in Wilson (who you’d have to figure would have wanted a comparable deal).

The biggest head-scratcher, though, is that both Daboll and Schoen always discuss competition for jobs and how it’s a good problem to have. 

Yet, for whatever reason, they didn’t see fit to hold a competition at the most important spot on the roster even though their starter in 2023 looked just as bad before his ACL as he did once he returned from the injury.

The Washington Commanders took a flier on quarterback Sam Hartman despite drafting Jayden Daniels No. 2 overall. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

What If…The Giants Had Taken a Flier on a Quarterback in the Draft?

As we learned from Hard Knocks, it was either Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels or bust for the Giants at the quarterback spot in the first round. 

That the Giants were willing to give up assets to move up in the draft order had they had a willing partner told us everything we needed to know about how they really felt about Jones as the long-term solution.

But when the Giants couldn’t make the trade, they pivoted away from the position altogether and didn’t even bother to add an undrafted rookie to their roster. 

The worst case is that the undrafted rookie wouldn’t have made the practice squad, but without taking a swing at the position, the Giants will never know if maybe a roll of the dice on Sam Hartman or Taulia Tagovailoa might have worked out for them.  

What If…The Giants Had a Healthy Backup Kicker in Week 2?

Plain and simple, the Giants win that Week 2 game against the Commanders and go 1-1 ahead of Week 3 against Cleveland, which they would go on to win. And if the Giants had won in Week 2, that would have given them a 2-1 record and perhaps a little more of a boost confidence-wise. 

Instead, the Giants made history of the wrong kind. It was the first game in their 100-year history that they lost despite scoring three touchdowns while allowing none.

What If…Mike Kafka Was Still Calling the Plays?

The 2023 season, like the 2024 campaign, saw the Giants rocked by injuries on both sides of the ball. On offense, the team has also cycled through four quarterbacks, one more than it did in 2023. Although the Giants' offense is currently ranked dead last in the league (292.3 yards per game), that’s still 12 yards per game better than in 2023.

So, what is the case for the Giants to have kept offensive coordinator Mike Kafka as their playcaller? Daniel Jones.

The Giants, remember, hitched their wagon to Jones, determined to reinstate him as the starter. So why not let Kafka, whose playcalling helped Jones to his best season as a pro since his rookie campaign in 2019, stay as the playcaller?

There are a couple of reasons why Daboll went this way. The first is that Daboll missed calling plays and was champing at the bit to get back into that role, which he temporarily put on the back burner as he grew into his position as a head coach. 

The other possible reason is that Daboll, in realizing that Kafka wanted to move on–remember the Giants blocked Kafka from interviewing with the Seahawks about their offensive coordinator opening–wanted to set things up so that the quarterbacks wouldn’t have to worry about having a different play caller in their ear every other season.

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