Quarterbacks don’t grow on trees.
If Jaxson Dart is out for the season, as the Giants fear, then a solution better than Jameis Winston will be hard to find.
But the Giants likely still need to add someone to either challenge Winston or be his backup ahead of Jake Haener (39 career passes).
Here is a look at who is (and might be) available:
Trades
Carson Wentz, Vikings: Forget third-stringer J.J. McCarthy (2024 first-round pick) as an option for the Giants.
But, with Kyler Murray back to starting, are the Vikings willing to make McCarthy their No. 2 and deal Wentz, who started last week? Would Wentz, who is playing close to home, even want to come?
Joe Flacco, Bengals: He and John Harbaugh were a winning pair for 11 seasons, including a Super Bowl in 2012. Like Winston, Flacco can still sling it for a couple of games here or there, but a whole season is a tall order. The Bengals have Super Bowl dreams, too, so why trade their Joe Burrow insurance?
Tanner McKee, Eagles: Unless the Giants overpay, why would the Eagles bail them out of a crisis? That said, McKee, who was demoted from No. 2 to No. 3 by the offseason addition of Andy Dalton, is a free agent after the season and has had good starts.
Cooper Rush, Falcons: Rush played for Harbaugh’s Ravens last season, and the Falcons offense is a four-quarterback mess, with Rush getting pulled last week after two starts without taking a snap in the red zone.
Tua Tagovailoa, Falcons: Yes, he’s injury-prone. Yes, he reportedly was brutal in the preseason. But the Dolphins are footing his enormous salary, so it won’t cost the Giants much in money or assets.
Justin Fields, Chiefs: Patrick Mahomes looks great again, so Fields isn’t as needed as expected. Fields was a disaster in New York for the Jets last year, but he and Giants offensive coordinator Matt Nagy have a history.
Free agents
Jake Browning: Considered one of the NFL’s top backups after his 2023 breakout with the Bengals, Browning crashed into reality over five games last season. He was cut by the Buccaneers in August.
Russell Wilson: He finished last season as Giants QB3 behind Dart and Winston and now is working as an analyst for CBS, but he has avoided saying “retired.”
Jimmy Garoppolo: Is he retired? The former 49ers franchise quarterback was lukewarm about returning to the high-powered Rams this offseason and hasn’t started a game since Jan. 5, 2025.
Will Levis: Cut by the Titans in August, the former second-round pick just signed to the Jets practice squad, but he can be poached for a spot on a 53-man roster.
Philip Rivers: The 44-year-old high school football coach unretired after a four-year layoff to try to save the Colts last season. He says it was a one-time thing. But wouldn’t it be cool for him to finally play for the team that drafted him (and traded him for Eli Manning) in 2004?
Hendon Hooker: The longtime apple of Giants fans’ eyes because Joe Schoen once said nice things has never started an NFL game and now is on the Titans practice squad.
Brandon Allen: Allen was cut by the Giants at the end of the preseason in favor of keeping Haener. But he is a longtime protege of quarterbacks coach Brian Callahan.
Nick Mullens: His best year (with the 2020 49ers) was a long time ago. Mullens hasn’t started since Jan. 7, 2024, and is idling on the Jaguars practice squad for the second straight year.
