**Giants Expected to Trade for $4.2 Million Patriots QB as Daniel Jones’ Replacement**

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In 2019, the New York Giants acknowledged that their long-time quarterback, Eli Manning, who had been with the team for 15 years, was nearing the end of his career. Manning led the Giants to two Super Bowl victories since 1990, both times defeating the New England Patriots. In the 2007 season, the Patriots entered the Super Bowl undefeated, boasting 16 regular-season wins and two playoff victories. However, Manning and the Giants halted their pursuit of perfection.

With a solid defensive performance limiting the Patriots’ high-powered offense, which averaged 36.8 points per game during the regular season, to just 14 points, Manning connected with Plaxico Burress for a 13-yard touchdown pass with 35 seconds left, securing a 17-14 win.

Manning repeated this feat four years later, defeating the 15-3 Patriots once again in a tight 21-17 victory.

**Giants’ Glory Days Fade Into the Past**

Those were the golden years. But nearly eight years after Manning’s second Super Bowl victory, the Giants chose Duke quarterback Daniel Jones with the sixth overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. The Giants had high expectations for Jones, but just two weeks into the season, they benched Manning, who had been the starter for every game since 2005, except for one in 2017, and gave the job to Jones.

Unfortunately, Jones became one of the biggest draft disappointments in NFL history. With a 22-44-1 record over six seasons, the Giants released him on November 22, 2024. His replacements, Drew Lock and Tommy DeVito, didn’t fare much better, despite a 45-33 victory over the Indianapolis Colts with Lock in Week 17. Ultimately, the Giants finished the season with a dismal 3-14 record, marking the worst in franchise history.

So, what’s next for the Giants at quarterback? Holding the No. 3 pick in the 2025 draft, it’s not a good year for quarterbacks. One mock draft has them selecting Miami QB Cam Ward, assuming the Tennessee Titans, who are expected to pick a quarterback with the No. 1 pick, overlook Ward.

**Giants Should Consider Looking to New England for Their Next QB**

According to Giants journalist Anthony Nivardo of Empire Sports Media, there’s another potential quarterback solution, one that comes from the team the Manning-led Giants defeated twice in the Super Bowl — the New England Patriots.

“One name generating trade rumors after the NFL regular season is New England Patriots rookie QB Joe Milton III,” Nivardo wrote. “Milton, a sixth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, joined the Patriots despite them also selecting Drake Maye with the third overall pick. With Maye likely being the team’s future quarterback, Milton could become tradeable this offseason.”

Milton, who earned the nickname “Bazooka Joe” due to his powerful arm, was described by NFL.com’s draft expert Lance Zierlein as a “rare physical specimen” with a “cannon for a right arm,” capable of throwing the ball at impressive speeds and distances.

In his only start as a rookie, against the Buffalo Bills in Week 18, Milton threw a sidearm pass clocked at 62 mph, the second-fastest in NFL history.

Milton also represents an affordable option for the Giants, as he is still on his rookie contract, which pays him just $4.2 million for the next three years.

*Jonathan Vankin** is an award-winning journalist and writer who covers baseball and sports for Heavy.com. He has won multiple New England Press Association awards for sports feature writing and is the author of several books and graphic novels, including “Last of the Gladiators,” published by Dynamite Entertainment.