Everywhere you’ve looked this offseason, you’ve likely seen and heard Jaxson Dart’s concussions referenced whenever the New York Giants’ quarterback came up in conversation.
Dart is healthy entering training camp, and the incredibly busy Jameis Winston returns as his backup. Barring injuries, those two are guaranteed to be on the Week 1 gameday roster.
As for the third-string quarterback, that’s even assuming that the Giants will opt to go that route with Brandon Allen. The Athletic’s Dan Duggan noted that John Harbaugh typically carried two quarterbacks in Baltimore, while ex-Giants coach Brian Daboll had three quarterbacks on his 53-man roster.
“With little risk of a team poaching Allen from the practice squad, the Giants should carry just Dart and Winston on the active roster this season,” Duggan wrote.
Harbaugh has not hinted whether the Giants will carry three quarterbacks, but letting Allen fall to the practice squad would be a risk.
John Harbaugh and the Giants must consider keeping three active quarterbacks
If you ever doubt the importance of quarterback depth, look no further than last year’s AFC Championship Game.
As for extended quarterback depth, the 2020 COVID season should have proved just how important having several quarterbacks is.
Granted, the COVID season is its own outlier, but the general point remains: three quarterbacks are the better way to go, especially when one or both of the other quarterbacks have an injury history.
You know the deal with Dart by now, so we won’t beat that dead horse. The fact nonetheless remains that Harbaugh shouldn’t dare gamble on not having a legitimate emergency option if Dart and Winston go down in the same game.
For the unfamiliar, the NFL’s emergency quarterback rule only applies to players on the 53-man roster. In other words, Allen would be ineligible to play if he were on the practice squad. However, Harbaugh could turn to Allen if he is on the 53-man roster and Dart and Winston are both hurt.
Harbaugh and the Giants would be in significant trouble without a No. 3 quarterback. By that point, you’re likely running a run-heavy shotgun offense, and your quarterback is a skill player who may not have played quarterback in over a decade.
That alone makes it even more surprising that Harbaugh didn’t carry three quarterbacks, given Lamar Jackson’s own injury history.
Perhaps the change in scenery will lead Harbaugh to alter his approach, too. Using that final roster spot on another quarterback is the safest play, though it may not always be the popular choice.
But if Allen proves to be the difference between a playoff berth and a losing season, good luck finding anyone who would complain.
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