Giants' Dave Gettleman changes tune on Aaron Rodgers: 'You explore everything'

Less than a week after quashing the idea of inquiring about the availability of reigning NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers, Giants general manager Dave Gettleman brought the possibility back to life on Monday with just three little words.

Gettleman said he and the organization still have belief in Daniel Jones as their quarterback. But after calling speculation about Rodgers’ discontent in Green Bay and his potential availability "none of my business" on Thursday and listing a number of factors as to why a trade for Rodgers would not work out for the Giants (besides Jones he cited the "mother lode" of picks necessary to get him, and, as he said, "oh, by the way, he’s 37"), Gettleman, asked about options at the position including Rodgers and Russell Wilson in an interview with WFAN, said: "You explore everything."

Trader Dave may be turning into Lewis and Clark.

"At the end of the day we’ll make our decisions," he said. "We believe in Daniel. I said that last week. It hasn’t changed. And we’ll just keep moving."

Asked if that devotion to Jones would prevent the Giants from making inquiries, Gettleman said: "I don’t want to talk hypotheticals."

Whether hypothetical becomes reality remains to be seen. The Packers have remained adamant that they will not be trading Rodgers despite reports that he is frustrated with the organization and that he would even consider retiring from the NFL rather than return to the team in 2021. The source of that rift is likely the team’s decision to select quarterback Jordan Love in the first round of last year’s draft. Rodgers certainly has other options beyond football; he recently served as guest host of "Jeopardy!" and is said to be in consideration for that full-time job.

Oh, and there is speculation that the Giants are among the teams where Rodgers would like to land.

Wilson, meanwhile, appears to have smoothed over whatever friction he had with the Seahawks earlier this offseason and is likely unavailable.

As for non-hypothetical Giants quarterbacks, Gettleman spent a good chunk of the radio interview extolling Jones. The Giants just spent the offseason building up the offensive options around Jones for a critical season in his development.

"Obviously this will be a big jump," Gettleman said. "This is the year, year two to year three, that Daniel should really make a major stride . . . We’re looking forward to seeing him thrive."

Gettleman raved about the work Jones has put in to becoming a better quarterback, comparing him to his predecessor.

"We were spoiled by Eli Manning," Gettleman said. "We were spoiled by the professionalism, we were spoiled by the dedication. We were just spoiled by the way he carried himself and was the face of this franchise for many, many years. We were all spoiled, not only in the building but outside the building. It was really important to me that the next guy in have the ability to be that guy. There was no doubt in our minds [Jones] would do that and he continues to do that."

Clearly, though, that doesn’t preclude the Giants from interest in anyone else who could do the same things.

Those offensive playmakers assembled for Jones would work just as well for Rodgers. The NFL is three months removed from crowning a champion that reached the Super Bowl by building a solid foundation of a roster and then importing a highly decorated veteran at quarterback to lead them. As for that "mother lode" of picks, the Giants have two first-rounders and two fourth-rounders in next year’s draft thanks to trading back with the Bears in the first round of this year’s selection process. They have the capital to make it work.

It’s just a matter of deciding whether they want to.

By Tom Rock

tom.rock@newsday.com@TomRock_Newsday

Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.