Giants will open 2021 NFL season against Broncos

The Giants will start the season against their old coach, not their hated rival.

To the disappointment of fans who are chomping at the bit for a shot at the Eagles, the Giants will open the season at home Sept. 12 against the Broncos, a source told The Post. Pat Shurmur, who was 9-23 as Giants head coach in 2018-19 before he was replaced by Joe Judge, is the Broncos offensive coordinator.

Now the big question: Will Aaron Rodgers be making his Broncos debut at MetLife Stadium? Denver is thought to be one of the leading landing spots if the Packers reverse course and trade their disgruntled quarterback.

The Giants faced the Broncos on the road on Monday Night Football on Sept. 10, 2001. Twenty years after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the Broncos are traveling east on the same weekend.

Giants fans have to wait until Week 12 to boo the Eagles, whose questionable effort in a Week 17 loss to Washington last season kept the Giants out of the playoffs and drew Judge’s wrath. Since then, coach Doug Pederson was fired, but Nov. 28 – the end of Thanksgiving weekend – still will be circled on the calendars.

The Eagles also stoked the flames of the rivalry just two weeks ago by trading up with the Cowboys in the first round of the NFL Draft to jump in front of the Giants for receiver DeVonta Smith. The Giants pivoted with a smart trade to pick up a future first-round pick and receiver Kadarius Toney.

Giants will face the Broncos to open 2021 NFL season.
Giants will face the Broncos to open 2021 NFL season.
Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post

The Giants-Cowboys Week 1 matchup that had become tradition is now on a two-year hiatus and hasn’t happened three of the last four years. The Giants opened against the Cowboys in 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019, with all but one of those games at AT&T Stadium.

The Cowboys will visit the Giants in Week 15 on Dec. 19. It is not known when the Giants will face the Eagles and Cowboys on the road.

The NFL will announce every team’s entire schedule Wednesday night, but the complete Week 1 schedule is expected to be announced by individual television networks during regular morning programming.

source: nypost.com