Can the Giants trust Jameis Winston? Exploring New York's options without Jaxson Dart

The New York Giants were supposed to have a promising season after both Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo’s 2025 seasons were cut short to injury. They started their 2026 campaign with a convincing win over the Dallas Cowboys in MetLife Stadium. All was well in East Rutherford, until Week 2 happened. Monday Night Football brought nightmares back from last season as now Jaxson Dart’s season is in flux after suffering an apparent knee injury in the first quarter against the Los Angeles Rams last night. 

It also showed that as likeable as Jameis Winston is in the NFL world, he’s not a reliable backup. He completed just 40 percent of his passes in relief of Dart on Monday night and a horrid interception on a severely underthrown ball to Nabers. The Giants now have to figure out how they’ll approach the rest of this season. Obviously they’ll need to know the extent of Dart’s injury. According to Ian Rapapport, it is believed Dart suffered a sprained MCL.

What they do with that information after could very much determine John Harbaugh’s first season in New York. Here’s how New York can handle the immediate future as they wait for Dart’s injury and status moving forward. 

New York can’t rely on Jameis Winston if they want to contend in the NFC East

Winston is one of the best personalities in the NFL. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mirror his talent on the field. Once upon a time, he was a reliable backup quarterback but after Monday night, it’s clear the Giants have to look at all their options. The interception to Trent McDuffie was just bad. Winston has been known in his career for having a strong arm and he severely under threw the pass to Malik Nabers. It should have been an easy pass to make. 

Those are the plays the Giants need him to make. Cam Skattebo can’t be the lifeline of this team while Dart is out. Winston can be a short term solution if Dart doesn’t miss more than a month, especially with the easier schedule the Giants have coming up. Dart will probably be out for some time so they don’t need to rely on Winston to hold them over, not after the game against the Rams. 

Who should the New York Giants consider trading for with Jaxson Dart’s injury?

Spencer Rattler

FanSided’s Cody Williams already floated the idea of a trade between the two sides that would get Spencer Rattler in a New York uniform. This isn’t a bad idea at all. John Harbaugh doesn’t need a player with a lot of potential to build up right now. Rattler is in his third NFL season and has a lot to prove. In New York, he would have decent weapons and a system that would allow him to make the most without making too many mistakes. Harbaugh was able to take Tyler Huntley and turn him into a Pro Bowl quarterback – if that means anything nowadays – so it’s worth noting Rattler could find some success with Harbaugh. 

J.J. McCarthy

J.J. McCarthy’s time with the Minnesota Vikings is quickly coming to an end, even if he’s the emergency option in Minnesota, he might be better suited in New York. While McCarthy didn’t look great, it feels like Harbaugh can make something work with him. In a way, he could be used similarly to how Dart was being used as a dual threat option. Adding McCarthy also gives them a long term backup option that’s slightly better than relying on Winston. 

Jarrett Stidham

I don’t think the Denver Broncos will part ways with Jarrett Stidham, but for the right price, they might consider it. Stidham did everything that was asked of him and more in the AFC title game last year in relief of Bo Nix. That should be enough to prove he’s worth having as a solid backup in the interim. The Broncos and Giants have similar weapons. The only difference is Stidham had an elite defense to help him out. The Giants don’t so if Stidham can’t generate points on the offense it might not ultimately be the solution they hoped it would be. 

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow