With John Harbaugh as the head coach, the hype for the New York Giants was undeniable in the offseason. A potential playoff contender in the NFC, expectations were running high about their chances in the division as well.
A strong start in Week 1 provided further confirmation of their new-look roster. But an injury to Jaxson Dart might have derailed their entire campaign. Now they need an alternative, but one name being floated around has drawn utter disdain from the fan base.
A stellar game against the Dallas Cowboys in the season opener had fans extremely hopeful for the season. But against the Los Angeles Rams , a gruesome hit in the pocket caused an injury to Dart.
At the time, it looked like he might be out for some time but return later in the year. However, further reporting revealed the situation to be far worse than initially thought, with damage to his MCL, PCL, and meniscus ending his regular season.
With Harbaugh likely not wanting to punt on his first season with a new franchise, the Giants could look into alternatives to keep the team competitive. But one of the names making the rounds is veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo .
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Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post Sports reported, "The Jimmy G buzz is picking up. #Giants interest is real. @MikeGarafolo mentioned on @BigDayESPN that he thinks Jimmy G would be interested."
The two-time Super Bowl champion was a backup on the New England Patriots before finding the best stretch of his career with the San Francisco 49ers , even taking them to the Super Bowl, albeit in a losing effort.
However, the credit for the 49ers' success under him was largely attributed to head coach Kyle Shanahan's brilliance. Now, nearly two years after he last threw a pass in the NFL, fans are aghast at the idea of him being a legitimate choice from the Giants.
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"Would be one of the worst moves you can make," one fan claimed before doubling down and adding, "Would be the worst move easily."
"No thanks, he hasn't played in 2 years, he's 35 (34) years old, he's not worth it," one fan reasonably explained before offering an alternative, "How about Joe Milton ? He's on the Cowboys' practice squad. He has a similar profile of Dart mobility and a strong arm."
For one fan, though, the problem was from the Giants rather than the quarterback himself, as they claimed , "Jimmy isn't mobile! He will get killed behind that o-line."
Some fans joked that the decision to bring in Garoppolo could lead to superstar wide receiver Malik Nabers becoming frustrated with the situation and potentially demanding a trade from the team.
Other fans were aghast at the idea as well, even suggesting that the Giants then bring back Russell Wilson , who was booed by Giants fans during his final season with the team.
He wrote , "Really? A 35yo who was never that good and hasn't taken a snap in nearly 2 years? Why? Might as well unretire Russ at that point."
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Another fan worried about the lack of mobility, exclaiming, "NOOOOOO, we don't need anymore statues."
However, most fans didn't want them to take an alternative route and stick with backup quarterback Jameis Winston instead. A rough showing against the Los Angeles Rams aside, his high-risk, high-reward style could benefit the team on some nights as well.
One fan claimed , "How does this help anything? They're either going to stay afloat with Jameis or just punt on the season (again). Jimmy G ain't Nick Foles ."
It remains to be seen if they actually pull the trigger to bring in Garoppolo. But as things currently stand, the move is being unanimously loathed by the fan base, so it might not be a smart way to appease them after the injury to Dart, who is currently ranked second on PFN's QB Impact Metric.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network .
