Four QBs the Giants should target in wake of concerning Jaxson Dart injury update

Jimmy Garoppolo, free agent  

Garoppolo, a former San Francisco 49ers star, almost retired this offseason but opted to return and remains a free agent. The 2014 second-round pick has battled foot, knee and ankle issues, but he could be a better option than the turnover-prone Winston if he stays healthy. 

Winston, the No. 1 pick of the 2015 NFL Draft, ranks sixth among active QBs in passes intercepted (114). Garoppolo, meanwhile, has thrown 52 interceptions in the regular season and is 43-21 as a starter. He last started for the Rams in 2024, going 0-1 but producing decent numbers. He completed 27-of-41 passes for 334 yards and two touchdowns, tossing one interception. 

J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings  

On the surface, McCarthy seems like a clear replacement for Dart. Harbaugh may already know a little about the 2024 first-round pick. He played for his younger brother, Jim (now with the Los Angeles Chargers), for three seasons with the Michigan Wolverines, leading the program to a national title during the 2023 season. 

McCarthy, however, is a QB reclamation project for John Harbaugh. He threw more interceptions (12) than TD passes (11) in 10 starts for Minnesota in 2024 and was relegated to QB3 behind Carson Wentz and Kyler Murray after struggling in preseason.

He may benefit from a change of scenery. Like Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell, John Harbaugh is a proven QB developer. During his 18-year tenure with the Baltimore Ravens, he turned Joe Flacco into a Super Bowl champion and Lamar Jackson into a two-time league MVP. 

Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts 

2023 first-round pick Richardson is listed as QB2 for the Colts behind Daniel Jones, but they may want to fetch some draft capital for him. He's in the last year of his rookie contract, and Indianapolis may not re-sign him in 2027. 

Richardson — 8-7 as a starter — struggles with accuracy (50.6 career completion percentage, well below average), but, like Dart, he's an excellent runner. In 2024, he ran for 499 yards on 86 carries, No. 6 among QBs that season, per Sports Info Solutions. 

The Giants offense operates smoothly with a mobile QB at the helm. New York beat the Dallas Cowboys 28-20 in Week 1 when Dart ran for 54 yards on 11 carries. 

Aidan O'Connell, Las Vegas Raiders 

The mustached O'Connell isn't the future in Vegas after it selected Fernando Mendoza with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft and signed four-time Pro Bowler Kirk Cousins as its starter. Trading him for some late-round picks wouldn't be a terrible idea for the Raiders. 

O'Connell — 7-10 as a starter — offers less upside than McCarthy or Richardson, but he has been more dependable in his four-year career. He has completed 62 percent of his passes (slightly below average) for 3,932 yards, tossing 20 TDs and 11 picks. 

He could have logged better stats in a more stable situation. In four seasons in Vegas, O'Connell has played under four different HCs: Josh McDaniels, Antonio Pierce, Pete Carroll and Klint Kubiak. The Raiders' constant coaching turmoil should've made O'Connell steadfast, an essential quality for someone playing for a franchise that's always generating headlines, like the Giants.