One thing that might help expedite the development of New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart would be getting him some veteran wide receivers to throw to.
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox thinks there’s a “logical” fit for the Giants with veteran free agent Keenan Allen.
“Wideout Keenan Allen may have turned 34 in April, but he continues to show that he can get it done with his precise route-running, reliable hands, and top-tier body positioning,” Knox wrote on July 19. “This past season, Allen returned to the Los Angeles Chargers. Despite never being the fastest player on the field, he still managed to catch 81 passes for 777 yards and four touchdowns. Working with a rookie quarterback and an inconsistent all-around Chicago Bears offense the previous season, he caught 70 balls for 744 yards and seven scores … teams looking to pair a young QB with a reliable possession receiver should be very interested in Allen.”
Allen is a 6-time Pro Bowler with approximately $139.4 million in career earnings and played for the Chargers on a 1-year, $3 million contract in 2025.
Decade of Dominance for WR Keenan Allen
Allen, 6-foot-2 and 211 pounds, has been 1 of the NFL’s elite wide receivers since the Chargers drafted him out of Cal in the 3rd round (No. 76 overall) of the 2013 NFL draft.
The 34-year-old had 6 seasons with over 1,000 receiving yards before he was traded to the Bears in March 2024 for a 4th-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
One popular school of thought is that the Chargers won’t let Allen go elsewhere again and will cut a deal to bring him back for what could be his final NFL season in 2026.
“I have a strong feeling that the Bolts front office and Keenan Allen have mutually agreed for him to return for one last season—not to be the main guy, but to be the veteran presence in a young WR room,” Boltz Galaxy wrote on its official X account on May 12. “My guess is he’s just skipping training camp, and then it’ll be announced.”
Giants Have Uncertainty Following WR1 Injury
The Giants already have a superstar WR1 on their roster with Malik Nabers, although it’s uncertain when he’ll be able to return following a torn ACL suffered in Week 4 of the 2025 regular season — an injury that required a follow-up procedure following the initial surgery.
The hope is he plays in Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys, but who knows at this point
It’s not a stretch to say that Nabers is the single player on the roster the Giants cannot afford to lose for long stretches of time. If he’s gone, you might as well flush this season down the drain.
If Nabers is healthy, though, the Giants have 1 of the NFL’s handful of wide receivers who can change games almost single-handedly, and Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay put Nabers at the top of his list of “dark horse candidates” to win NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2026.
Nabers currently sits at +4500 odds to win across the major betting sites, with Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs and Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson running neck-and-neck as favorites with odds ranging from +700 to +900.
“Despite Nabers’ bursting onto the scene with one of the best rookie seasons in recent memory — he caught 109 passes for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns in 15 games — and establishing himself as one of the best receivers in the league, he only has the 19th best odds of winning Offensive Player of the Year this season,” Kay wrote on July 8. “Nabers’ impending return will be a massive boon for a Giants squad working to take a major step forward in 2026. The team went all-in on a regime change and roster improvements this offseason, most notably placing John Harbaugh at the head coaching reins and bolstering Jaxson Dart’s protection with first-round guard Francis Mauigoa.”
Giants Called ‘Logical’ Fit for $139 Million Free Agent WR