Fox Sports personality Colin Cowherd is notorious for his controversial takes on various different sports. But when it comes to his take on the New York Giants on Thursday, it may actually be accurate, albeit a bit harsh.
The Giants’ struggles last year were well-documented without starting quarterback Daniel Jones for much of the season. And things may only get worse heading into the 2024-25 season after it was reported earlier this month that the team would be letting two-time Pro Bowl running back Saquon Barkley test free agency.
The decision to let Barkley test the open market has not generally been a popular one, as many sports media personalities have publicly ripped the organization for allowing potentially their best player to jump ship.
Cowherd took things a step further on his show The Herd on Thursday, saying that the regression he has seen in the team is comparable to Blockbuster Video, which of course filed for bankruptcy in 2013.
“If you had an optimism meter in the NFL, the bottom of it has to be Carolina and the Giants if they lose Saquon Barkley,” said Cowherd. “Daniel Jones in games that Saquon doesn’t play is 8-14. When I look at the Giants, when I was back there years ago, I felt like it was this great successful accounting firm. They feel like Blockbuster Video. They have not pivoted. Not very good upstairs. In 12 seasons since winning the Super Bowl, they have one double-digit winning season. And that is in the weaker NFC.
“Outside of Carolina, what is a bigger mess in the NFL? You have an owner that wants a quarterback that the GM and the coach privately don’t want. With Saquon Barkley, it is a BB gun offense. Without him, it’s a cracked water pistol. It’s bad, it is bad.”
"They feel like Blockbuster video. They have not pivoted… Outside of Carolina, what's a bigger mess in the NFL?"
— @ColinCowherd calls out the Giants pic.twitter.com/izLUKK4tC5
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) March 7, 2024
It’s obviously an incredibly harsh assessment of a team that should clearly be rebuilding. And opting not to pay Barkley may be their first step in doing so.
But overall, the take isn’t exactly incorrect. And when you look at how the Giants used to be a steady playoff contender in the NFC, maybe they really are comparable to a once-great company like Blockbuster Video that is simply now far past its relevancy.
