Jaxson Dart is officially out for the rest of the 2026 NFL season after deciding on knee surgery, so the New York Giants are potential players in what’s left of the veteran quarterback market, where there’s one “very real name” for Big Blue to watch.
The name belongs to a 96-touchdown passer and two-time Super Bowl-winner. Somebody who hasn’t played in an age, but as the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy put it, “I sense a very real name to keep an eye on in the backup QB market for #Giants is Jimmy Garoppolo, who was on the #Rams last season but last threw a pass in 2024.”
Garoppolo might be retired. Maybe. Sort of. Nobody’s quite sure. Dunleavy explained how “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.”
Finding out if Garoppolo wants to play is worth the effort for the Giants. Particularly now Dart’s lengthy absence has been confirmed.
Dart is wisely taking the long view of the long-term health of his knee after his injury during the 28-6 defeat to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 2. It’s the smart move, but the Giants are left short at football’s most important position in the present.
Head coach John Harbaugh and general manager Joe Schoen should explore every possible upgrade for current next man up, Jameis Winston. Garoppolo would qualify as an obvious improvement.
Jimmy Garoppolo Makes Sense for Giants
Garoppolo won his two Championship rings as Tom Brady’s backup for the New England Patriots, but the Giants will be more interested in his post-Pats pedigree.
His best achievement since leaving New England was leading the 2019 San Francisco 49ers to a Super Bowl. Garoppolo threw for a career-high 27 touchdowns playing in an offense based on heavy running, moving pockets and play-action passing.
Serving as Matthew Stafford’s deputy for the Rams in 2025 exposed Garoppolo to the same concepts. The Giants don’t run exactly the same scheme on Harbaugh’s watch, but they still operate a run-first offense that includes select, efficient passing off play action.
Garoppolo knows this blueprint front and backwards. The 34-year-old won’t wow anybody, but he fits as a stabilising force for a rebuilding team deflated by the worst-case scenario involving Dart.
Harbaugh and Schoen prepared for this scenario when they extended Winston’s contract this offseason. Unfortunately, he looked barely serviceable in relief duty against the Rams.
Jameis Winston Can’t Replace Jaxson Dart Alone
Winston appeared out of his depth after entering the game at SoFi Stadium on Monday Night Football. The veteran completed just 40.7 percent of his passes, took two sacks and was guilty of eight bad throws, according to Pro Football Reference.
This wasn’t the assured performance of an experienced, battle-tested pro quarterback. The Giants can help Winston regain his composure by putting wide receivers he’s more comfortable with into the lineup more often.
That should involve the Giants altering their plans for returning Odell Beckham Jr. moving forward. Beckham’s the kind of QB-friendly target Dart’s replacement will need.
The only issue with that strategy is it presupposes a level of efficiency Winston’s never possessed. He’s been a feast-or-famine passer his whole career.
As Dan Duggan of The Athletic put it, Winston’s “just as likely to throw for 400 yards Sunday as he is to look like he did in LA.” Duggan also believes if the Giants “want to sign a vet like Jimmy G to back-up Jameis and provide a Plan B if Monday wasn’t an aberration, I can understand that.”
Garoppolo might start life as QB2 for the post-Dart Giants. Yet, he’s more qualified to eventually steady the offense than boom-or-bust Winston.
96-TD QB a ‘Very Real’ Option for Giants After Jaxson Dart Update