The New York Giants' 2026 campaign now feels like it's in danger, as quarterback Jaxson Dart suffered a knee injury that will knock him out for the entire season. ESPN reports that Dart's ACL is intact, but he suffered damage to his MCL, PCL and meniscus while taking a hit during Monday night's loss to the Los Angeles Rams. The meniscus is reported to be the main issue.
Now, John Harbaugh and Matt Nagy shift their attention to Jameis Winston — a veteran backup quarterback the organization has trust in. Winston spent last year with the Giants, and actually signed a two-year, $13 million extension to remain Dart's backup in New York. While he's certainly one of the most "talented" backup quarterbacks in the NFL, there's no denying Winston is a bit of a wild card.
The former No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft will take chances downfield that sometimes turn into turnovers. In relief of Dart Monday night, Winston struggled, throwing for 111 yards and one interception on 11-of-27 passing as the Giants lost 28-6. Winston made the Pro Bowl as a rookie with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after throwing for 4,042 yards, 22 touchdowns and 15 interceptions, but also became the first quarterback to register a "30 and 30" season in 2019, throwing for 5,109 yards, 33 touchdowns and 30 interceptions.
There are worse options than Winston at quarterback, but there are better options as well. If he flounders on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans, could the Giants explore other avenues? Tyler Huntley, Mac Jones and Anthony Richardson are logical options, but the most logical option could be Joe Flacco of the Cincinnati Bengals.
The 41-year-old won a Super Bowl with Harbaugh and the Baltimore Ravens in 2013, and he has shown he can join a team midseason and make a positive impact. There are both pros and cons to trading for Flacco. The Bengals have one of the best quarterback situations in the NFL, and that's not just because Joe Burrow is a star.
It's also because he has Flacco as his backup. When Burrow missed nine games last year due to a toe injury, the Bengals executed an intra-division trade with the Cleveland Browns to acquire Flacco because Jake Browning wasn't cutting it. In his second start with the Bengals, Flacco threw for 342 yards, three touchdowns, zero interceptions and registered his 30th career game-winning drive in an upset of the rival Pittsburgh Steelers.
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