The New York Giants fanbase had to endure a brutal Monday Night Football game in which most of their top players got injured. One of them was starting quarterback Jaxson Dart, who suffered a left knee injury on the Giants' opening drive against the Los Angeles Rams. The reported belief was that Dart dodged a bullet, and that he was only dealing with an MCL sprain. With that, the Giants expressed optimism that Dart would only miss a brief period of time.
But on Tuesday, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo reported that Dart's knee injury was "worse than anticipated," and that it's possible Dart could miss the remainder of the season if he undergoes surgery.
An absolute nightmare scenario for the Giants, as they were riding high after a Week 1 win against the Dallas Cowboys. Now, the team possibly could be without their best quarterback for the rest of the season. That means it will be Jameis Winston starting for the foreseeable future. They did give him a two-year, $13 million contract extension, after all. Now, they'll hope that he puts up better performances on the field than what he showed in relief against the Rams.
Even with Winston going to be starting from here on out, it wouldn't hurt for the Giants to explore some external options to bring in to try and salvage their season. Here are some quarterbacks they should consider adding this season with Dart sidelined indefinitely.
5. Brandon Allen
Perhaps the easiest thing the Giants could do is to bring in a quarterback that was with the team during training camp. Brandon Allen was the lone quarterback to be cut once the preseason ended, due in part to his poor play. In three games, Allen threw for 224 yards, zero touchdowns, and two interceptions while completing 26-of-38 of his passes.
There was a reason why the Giants cut him, even though he had familiarity with quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator Brian Callahan. But with Dart likely out for the remainder of the sesaon, it would not be surprising if their first move was to sign Allen to the practice squad.
4. Josh Johnson
One of the easiest ways to dwindle through quarterback options is to see who has connections with the head coach. For John Harbaugh, he has coached a number of different quarterbacks when he led the Baltimore Ravens, even with having stability with the likes of Joe Flacco and Lamar Jackson. As we all know, Jackson is one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL, while Flacco is the primary backup quarterback behind Joe Burrow on the Cincinnati Bengals. Flacco won't be moved, that's for sure.
However, there is another quarterback in Cincinnati that the Giants could target, and that's Josh Johnson, who is on their practice squad. Yes, Johnson isn't the best option, considering he has bounced around the league throughout his career. Yet, he has played for the Ravens and started a game for them.
Facing off against the Bengals in 2021, Johnson threw for 304 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception while completing 28-of-40 pass attempts in a 21-14 loss.
Johnson isn't the most popular name in terms of quarterback options. But given the Harbaugh connection, it wouldn't be surprising if the Giants bring him in.
3. Jimmy Garoppolo
When looking at free agency, the quarterbacks available are not too enticing. But there is one name with starter's experience that is on the top of the free agent list, and that's Jimmy Garoppolo.
Yes, Garoppolo is far from the quarterback he was during his prime years with the San Francisco 49ers. Regardless of what you say about his play during that time, Garoppolo played well enough to lead the 49ers to the Super Bowl in 2019. Then, there was the disastrous 2023 season with the Las Vegas Raiders when he reunited with Josh McDaniels. In seven games (six starts), Garoppolo threw for 1,205 yards, seven touchdowns, and nine interceptions on a 65.1 completion percentage.
After two seasons as a backup for the Los Angeles Rams, Garoppolo contemplated retirement, but has opened the door to returning to the NFL. A quarterback with a 43-21 record as a starter would be enticing for a team like the Giants would be enticing for sure.
2. Joe Milton
The Giants could continue to explore the practice squad route, while also getting the better of a division rival. It may have flown under the radar a bit, but the Cowboys have Joe Milton on their practice squad, and could be an enticing quarterback to add to the Giants roster.
Milton entered the NFL with a known cannon for an arm, but needed to work on his accuracy. He shined in his lone start with the New England Patriots in 2024, where he threw for 241 yards and a touchdown (22-of-29 on pass attempts) while rushing for a touchdown. He was then traded to the Dallas Cowboys that offseason.
In the preseason, Milton was in a battle for the backup quarterback position with Sam Howell. Milton played strongly in the preseason, Milton completed 29-of-43 throws for 378 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions in three games (two starts). Milton was ultimately waived after head coach Brian Schottenheimer declared Howell the winner of the competition. Yet, he made it back onto the practice squad.
Milton does provide more upside than any of the quarterback options available. Why not try to bring him in to see if he can salvage the season...if Winston can't do so?
1. Gardner Minshew
When looking at trade options, there is no way s team would give up their primary backup quarterback, especially considering how many starters got injured this early in the season. Mitchell Trubisky made sense considering his relationship with offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, but he's the primary backup on the Tennessee Titans. While J.J. McCarthy is a popular name to throw around, it's difficult to imagine the Giants wanting to give up draft assets for McCarthy.
If there is a "feasible" trade option, it could be Gardner Minshew on the Arizona Cardinals. While he is the backup behind Jacoby Brissett, let's not forget that the Cardinals used a third-round pick on Carson Beck, who played well in the Hall of Fame game. Minshew has plenty of starter's experience, and can help lead the team to wins. Let's not forget that he nearly led the Indianapolis Colts to the playoffs in 2023 after taking over for an injured Anthony Richardson.
In his career, Minshew threw for 11,987 yards, 68 touchdowns, and 35 interceptions, while having a 17-30 win-loss record.
Trading for a quarterback will hinge on how well Winston plays and if the Giants are still in the playoff picture. Minshew should be a name the Giants and the fanbase keep an eye on.
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