The New York Giants are turning to Jameis Winston after Jaxson Dart’s knee injury, but John Harbaugh has left open the possibility of a trade to add another quarterback.
Asked Wednesday whether New York would consider that route, Harbaugh kept the team’s options open.
“I think all options are open,” Harbaugh said. “Yeah, all options are open right now.”
That leaves two different decisions for New York: preparing Winston to start and determining who else belongs in the quarterback room. Harbaugh’s answer did not identify a trade target or establish that a deal is in progress.
The Giants confirmed Wednesday that Dart will miss the remainder of the regular season. New York is 1-1 and hosts the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
John Harbaugh confirms that Jaxson Dart will be out for the regular season with a knee injury pic.twitter.com/jWPV9Fd03q
— SNY Giants (@SNYGiants) September 23, 2026
Why the Giants need more than a starting quarterback decision
Jake Haener is on the practice squad, giving the Giants another in-house option behind Winston. Haener has appeared in eight NFL games, including one start.
That limited experience makes the next addition consequential even if Winston keeps the starting job. A veteran backup can help protect against another injury without requiring New York to spend draft capital on an immediate challenger.
A trade would need to offer enough improvement to justify both the acquisition cost and the time needed to learn the offense.
Harbaugh said he would lean toward experience but would consider a younger player if the fit were right. His comments leave room for either approach; they do not commit the Giants to the most aggressive one.
Jameis Winston gets a game plan built for him
Winston completed 11 of 27 passes for 111 yards and an interception in Monday’s 28-6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. That works out to 40.7 percent completions and 4.1 yards per attempt, calculated from the team’s published game figures.
Those numbers establish the immediate challenge. New York needs more consistent completions as well as more production from each throw; simply having an experienced quarterback available did not solve either problem against Los Angeles.
Harbaugh’s proposed adjustment is to select plays suited to Winston from the existing offense. That gives the coaching staff a more useful test on Sunday than an emergency appearance in a game planned around Dart, although it does not erase Monday’s execution problems.
Winston also has standing within the locker room. An analysis originally published by The Athletic and carried by NFL.com identifies him as a member of the team’s elected eight-player leadership council.
Familiarity with teammates can ease the transition, but his passing will determine whether that continuity translates into sustained drives.
Jameis Winston on stepping in as starting QB pic.twitter.com/KYUL7St8r7
— New York Giants (@Giants) September 23, 2026
In February, Dart told Ahn Fire Digital that players needed to commit fully to Harbaugh’s vision. The challenge now is maintaining that direction with someone else running the offense.
For the front office, the next move should answer a specific question: Does the available quarterback provide dependable depth, or enough upside to warrant a larger investment?
Harbaugh has preserved that choice while giving Winston the first opportunity to show what the current roster can do.
