NY Jets' future looks brighter than the Giants and it's not even close

The New York Jets and New York Giants are in similar spots right now. The two rival franchises find themselves in the same position on the open market. Both are rebuilding, and both need a long-term signal caller. And both — now — are tied in some way to Aaron Rodgers.

The Giants are kicking the tires on the possibility of bringing in the 42-year-old veteran, who the Jets recently moved on from. It begs the question, why?

Rodgers only has value on a "win now" team. The Giants do not fit this description. They were also heavily in pursuit of 37-year-old Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford before he was given a new contract. Again, why?

The Giants appear lost. It's hard to pinpoint what direction they think they're going in. On the other hand, Gang Green appears to be on the path toward success. Or at least, there seems to be a plan.

The NY Jets are miles ahead of the Giants right now

The biggest reason that the Jets are better positioned for the future is their leadership, which, I admit, is a shocking thing to say about the Jets.

For the first time in decades, the general manager and head coach are on the exact same timeline. Darren Mougey and Aaron Glenn have to prove themselves together, and so far, they aren't making any crazy decisions.

You don't hear the Jets thinking about dumping a bunch of money on an aging quarterback who likely won't deliver any real success. They plan to either find their future signal caller or kick the can down the road until a good future option is available.

This might come in the form of signing a veteran on the market like Marcus Mariota. It could mean rolling with Tyrod Taylor for 2025. It could mean drafting the apple of their eye. Or it could mean finding a bridge guy with some future upside as well, like Justin Fields.

The one thing that they don't plan to do is eat up their salary cap in a misplaced attempt at winning this year. That's something desperate front offices do, and that's precisely what the Giants have right now.

Both head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen are firmly on the hot seat. They are 18-32 together, with one minor playoff run and nothing else to show for their three seasons in New York. Many even expected Schoen to be let go this offseason.

Ultimately, the Giants decided to keep him, and a lame-duck GM can be a dangerous thing. They will blow up the next five years to save their job in the short term, which is what a Stafford trade would've looked like.

Another factor in deciding which franchise has the better future is the talent on the field. The Jets certainly take this category as well.

The Giants do have some talent, of course. Wide receiver Malik Nabers and defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence are excellent pieces, but the Jets' defense has some truly special players.

Defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, linebackers Quincy Williams and Jamien Sherwood, defensive end Jermaine Johnson, and cornerback Sauce Gardner make for an incredibly formidable young defense.

The Giants are several key pieces away from success. The Jets, though they also have holes to fill, are much closer to winning consistently.

With the defense they have, an improving offensive line, and skill-position talent such as wide receiver Garrett Wilson and running back Breece Hall, the Jets are a good quarterback away from pushing .500 right now.

It will be fascinating to see what both squads do this offseason, specifically under center. The direction these franchises go in at quarterback will say a lot about each, respectively.

But as it stands, the Jets are several steps ahead at this moment.

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