There would be some real Cleveland Browns irony, wouldn’t there, if after a summer in which the team put on a quarterback competition in which none of the contestants really looked like a starting-level player in the NFL, it was their crowded room that came to the rescue of a would-be postseason contender? And yet here we are, with the New York Giants having lost Jaxson Dart after a surprisingly difficult knee injury, and with the Browns perhaps offering them the best solutions.
First, to Dart’s injury. It was expected to be a strain of his MCL, but on Tuesday afternoon, Ian Rapoport reported that the injury could be season-ending. He wrote: “#Giants QB Jaxson Dart suffered a knee injury last night that was worse than anticipated, sources told me and @MikeGarafolo after the MRI. He’s out an extended period of time, possibly the season.”
Rapoport added that former Browns QB Jameis Winston will take his place.
Giants Eyed Shedeur Sanders in 2025
But Winston is probably not going to be the season-long solution for the Giants, especially not after he stepped in on Monday night and was 11-for-27 for 111 yards, an interception and a 37.7 quarterback rating. That’s where the Browns come in.
Whatever you might think about the quality of their starter–currently Deshaun Watson–the Browns at least have two of the better young fill-in options that the Giants could add in the coming days. There is, of course, Shedeur Sanders, a player the Giants were said to be interested in picking in the 2025 NFL draft before they ultimately went with Dart and Sanders plummeted to the fifth round.
Video of Sanders and Malik Nabors playing catch on a New York street before the draft spurred rumors of that interest. Now, especially if it is clear that the Browns are comfortable with where Watson is in his recovery from two Achilles tendon surgeries, the Browns could take advantage and send Sanders to New York.
Browns’ Dillon Gabriel a Low-Mistake Option
Or, a better fit might be Gabriel, whose diminutive size and lack of a strong arm does limit his upside, but who has the potential to be a high-efficiency, low-mistake quarterback in the right system. Given the strength of the Giants’ defense and its running game, Gabriel might well be an ideal target.
The Browns stuck Gabriel on the injured reserve at roster cut-down day as a way to keep him on the roster with a back injury. The injury is not serious, though, and he can come off the IR after Week 4. Cleveland is not likely to actually use Gabriel, a third-round pick in 2025, and kept him on board for just this type of opportunity.
The Giants figure to be desperate, and soon. The Browns could leap at the chance.
Browns QB Trade Could Help Giants After Jaxson Dart Injury