Joe Judge: Ex-Giants Tell Me They Wish They Were Still in NY Despite Better Contracts

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There aren’t many situations that look much worse in the NFL than the spot the New York Giants find themselves in, but head coach Joe Judge said some of the team’s former players wish they were getting paid less to be in the Big Apple.

Judge told reporters players from last year’s team that are now suiting up elsewhere called him to say “how much they wish they were still here even though they’re getting paid more by someone else.”

Other than the opportunity to be in New York for a team that receives plenty of national attention because of its history, location and division, it is difficult to imagine why players would rather be on the Giants roster for less money than taking the field for other teams.

New York fell to 4-12 with Sunday’s 29-3 loss to the Chicago Bears in a game that was never competitive against a fellow NFC team that has struggled and not in the playoff picture.

Mike Glennon was an ugly 4-of-11 passing for 24 yards, zero touchdowns and two interceptions. The defense gave up two rushing touchdowns to David Montgomery and failed to keep the game close even though Chicago quarterback Andy Dalton wasn’t exactly great at 18-of-35 passing for 173 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

This will mark the fifth straight losing season for the Giants, and they haven’t won a single playoff game since they captured the Lombardi Trophy during the 2011 campaign.

What’s more, supposed franchise quarterback Daniel Jones has struggled with consistency since the team selected him with the No. 6 overall pick of the 2019 draft. While he is still young and can make plays with his legs in addition to his arm, he hasn’t shown enough to trust him as a long-term solution at the position.

Running back Saquon Barkley looked like a surefire star as the 2018 Offensive Rookie of the Year, but he tore his ACL last season and entered play Sunday averaging a mere 3.5 yards per carry. He at least ran for 102 yards against the Bears, but Barkley has not looked nearly as explosive since his return from the injury.

Judge, in his second season as the coach of the Giants, was surely frustrated with the poor play during the loss to the Bears. There may be some players who wish they were still in New York, but it may take a group of new ones to return the franchise to a competitive one during the head coach’s tenure.