Now that Jaxson Dart is officially done for the season, the New York Giants have multiple complicated questions to navigate.

The Dart injury changes the trajectory of New York’s 2026 season and forces the franchise to confront difficult realities about its roster, its identity, and its future. The Giants need to figure out how they see themselves, and they need to do it quickly.

Do the Giants believe they can win without Dart?

The first question needs an immediate answer: Does New York see itself as a team that can win without quality quarterback play? If the Giants have aspirations and believe they can win through great defense and a dominant run game, they should be aggressive about finding a replacement quarterback.

Jameis Winston struggled on Monday night when he stepped in for Dart. I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt that against a team without an elite defense like the Rams, he could perform better. More importantly, if the game plan is centered on not having an athletic quarterback serve as the catalyst for the run game and most of the offense, Winston could theoretically improve. Maybe this Sunday against the Tennessee Titans, we get a real glimpse of what he’s capable of.

But if this team actually wants to compete, it needs contingency plans. New York can’t elevate Brandon Allen and have Winston go down with an injury, then revert to Allen, who looked terrible in the preseason.

Joe Flacco is one option that makes some sense. Flacco has served in this role before, helping a team with interesting pieces stay competitive with steady quarterback play. Not dominant play, but steady. At Flacco’s age and with the gradual regression in his performance, though, it doesn’t seem likely he’d do enough to help the Giants go very far. 

A trade for J.J. McCarthy or Anthony Richardson makes more sense

The more interesting route is trading for two young players their franchises abandoned: J.J. McCarthy and Anthony Richardson. You’re not trading for either of them as long-term replacements for Dart. You’re creating a potential win-win circumstance.

If the Giants don’t have to give up tremendous capital and can acquire one for a third-round pick or cheaper, adding either player to an offense that clearly needs an athletic quarterback changes the equation. That’s the most important aspect of this. You grab one of these guys with the tools to run the system we saw the blueprint for in Week 1.

If they perform well, the Giants possibly have the opportunity to trade them the following offseason. They’d have a high-level backup perfect for the system when Dart returns. And if they don’t perform well, how is it any different than the current circumstance?

Winston doesn’t feel like the right quarterback to run what Matt Nagy and Greg Roman were trying to build. I don’t think either coordinator anticipated being in this situation in Week 2, having to transition to Winston. They’re NFL coaches, and you don’t make it this far if you’re not good at adapting. If they’re bad at adapting, we’re going to find out, and one of them probably ends up getting let go at the end of the season.

Dart played well in those early glimpses. If you built this system around a mobile quarterback, you need to go get one. I like McCarthy and Richardson a lot more than bringing in Flacco or riding with Winston.

Thankfully, the Titans should serve as a nice barometer. If Winston plays poorly but the defense and run game shine, the Giants know they have pieces to build around and need to go get somebody who can run the system. If New York struggles across the board, the team is at the same level as Tennessee. And if Winston performs well, there’s something to build off of.

Do not move on from Jaxson Dart in the 2027 NFL Draft

The other question the Giants need to answer has an obvious answer, even though too many people are pushing it in the wrong direction. If New York ends up picking in the top five of the 2027 NFL Draft with a chance to select Arch Manning, Trinidad Chambliss, Darian Mensah, or CJ Carr, the Giants need to decide whether to keep building around Dart or take one of those quarterbacks.

Keep building around Jaxson Dart.

We saw what this team could be around him. For me, it was reminiscent of what Jalen Hurts has been capable of doing at his best with the Philadelphia Eagles. Hurts is one of the most controversial names in the NFL because nobody can agree on where he fits on the quarterback-ranking spectrum. But when Hurts plays his best, you can win a Super Bowl. Dart and Hurts are similar. Both are mobile, tough, and can throw on the run. Maybe neither possesses that upper-tier arm talent or that elite processing ability. But the athleticism is so notable that it gives you an extra layer most teams don’t have.

That small bit of evidence is enough to realize you need to keep building around Dart and use that top-five pick to add another piece to elevate the rest of the roster. Leonard Moore from Notre Dame and Jeremiah Smith from Ohio State are the two guys worth that selection who would do wonders for transforming the Giants. New York’s two biggest needs right now are cornerback and wide receiver. Imagine Jeremiah Smith next to Malik Nabers.

Starting over at quarterback sets this team back. Not using that top pick to draft a potential All-Pro or at least an above-average starter sets the team back. You’d have to start from scratch with a quarterback learning the system and learning how to be a pro. That takes multiple years, instead of walking into Year 3 with Dart, who, despite missing time, already has experience and an understanding of what it takes to succeed in this league.

Do not move on from Jaxson Dart. This quarterback class is not good enough to justify it. I like the 2027 class, but the Giants shouldn’t go down that rabbit hole if they end up picking that early. Use the pick to transform the roster around the quarterback you already have.