Giants Quarterback Depth Chart: Winston Starts, McCarthy and Haener on 53-Man Roster, Dart on Injured Reserve
Jake Haener's Oct. 7 signing puts three healthy quarterbacks on the 53-man roster for the first time this season, and Giants coach John Harbaugh has not said which of the other two backs up Winston against the Washington Commanders.
Jameis Winston is the Giants' starting quarterback and has started every game since Jaxson Dart hurt his knee in Week 2. Behind Winston, the Giants now carry both J.J. McCarthy and Jake Haener on the 53-man roster. Giants coach John Harbaugh has not said which of them will be the backup Sunday against the Washington Commanders.
The Giants signed Haener from the practice squad to the 53-man roster on Wednesday and placed wide receiver Braxton Berrios on injured reserve. It is the first time this season the Giants have had three healthy quarterbacks on the 53-man roster. Dart is on injured reserve. Under league rules, Oct. 25 at Houston is the earliest game he could be activated for.
The details below are as of Friday morning, Oct. 9. The Giants' final injury report comes Friday afternoon, and the inactive list posts about 90 minutes before Sunday's 1 p.m. kickoff.
Who starts, and why
Harbaugh named Winston the starter Sept. 23, two days after Dart was hurt against the Rams (transcript). On Sept. 28, the day the Giants traded a 2027 fifth-round pick to Minnesota for McCarthy, Harbaugh said Winston would start "for as long as I can see into the future," then added that nobody knows beyond that (transcript).
Winston is 2-0 as the starter. The Giants beat Tennessee 12-7, then Arizona 36-24, when he threw three touchdown passes and two interceptions. Harbaugh was not asked about the starting job in his Monday or Wednesday sessions this week. Winston was not on the Giants' Wednesday or Thursday injury reports.
Who backs him up
Harbaugh has not named a No. 2 since the trade. On Sept. 28 he said, "It could be (quarterback) Jake (Haener) or it could be J.J." On Oct. 2 he said the Giants were not announcing their backup roles (transcript).
All three quarterbacks were active against Arizona, with Haener on a standard elevation from the practice squad. McCarthy did not play. Harbaugh said after the game that McCarthy was active for plays the staff had prepared for him, and that "to think that he was going to be the backup for the whole game was unrealistic," so Haener dressed too (transcript).
Asked Monday whether McCarthy could be the backup this week, Harbaugh said, "I think that's a possibility. We'll see how it goes during the week, but that's definitely on the table" (transcript). Offensive coordinator Matt Nagy graded McCarthy's progress "an A-plus" Thursday (transcript). He said McCarthy and Haener both have to know the full game plan, and that the staff is building packages for McCarthy it will use when and if it chooses.
Haener's signing means the Giants no longer need an elevation to dress three quarterbacks. Under the league's rule, an emergency third quarterback must be on the 53-man roster and cannot be an elevated practice-squad player. If the Giants dress two quarterbacks Sunday, they can designate McCarthy or Haener as the third. The Athletic's Dan Duggan wrote Wednesday that it is "more likely that McCarthy takes over as QB2 soon and Haener becomes the emergency third QB."
Week by week
| Week | Game | Started | Other QBs active | Not available |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sept. 13 vs. Dallas, won 28-20 | Dart | Winston | Haener (practice squad) |
| 2 | Sept. 21 at L.A. Rams, lost 28-6 | Dart (hurt in first quarter; Winston finished) | Winston | Haener (practice squad); no emergency QB |
| 3 | Sept. 27 vs. Tennessee, won 12-7 | Winston | Haener (signed to 53 Sept. 26) | Dart (injured reserve Sept. 24) |
| 4 | Oct. 4 vs. Arizona, won 36-24 | Winston | Haener (elevated Oct. 3), McCarthy (acquired Sept. 28; did not play) | Dart (injured reserve) |
| 5 | Oct. 11 at Washington | Winston (no change announced) | Backup not announced; McCarthy and Haener both on the 53 | Dart (injured reserve) |
Haener has changed status six times starting Sept. 26. The Giants signed him to the 53, waived him when McCarthy arrived, re-signed him to the practice squad Sept. 30, elevated him for Arizona, reverted him to the practice squad after the game and signed him back to the 53 on Wednesday.
Where Dart stands
The Giants placed Dart on injured reserve Sept. 24. Harbaugh said Sept. 23 that Dart would miss the "regular season at least." Asked that day whether the team would designate him to return, Harbaugh said, "Probably, yeah, I guess, I don't know. I haven't thought about it" (transcript).
A player placed on injured reserve after the roster cutdown must miss four games before he can be activated. Dart's four are Weeks 3 through 6, which makes Oct. 25 at Houston his earliest eligible game. The Giants have not announced a return timeline. A return also takes one of the Giants' eight designations. They have used one, on cornerback Korie Black at the Aug. 30 cutdown. Our injured reserve explainer has the full rules, including the playoff designations.
What each one costs
All four count against the 2026 salary cap, including Dart on injured reserve. Figures are from Over the Cap (OTC) and Spotrac as of Oct. 9.
| Player | 2026 cap number | 2027 cap number | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winston | $3,516,666 (OTC) / $3,527,206 (Spotrac) | $7,316,666 | Two-year, $13 million extension signed Sept. 7; $12.24 million guaranteed; runs through 2028 (Spotrac) |
| McCarthy | $895,833 (OTC) / $836,108 (Spotrac) | $3,775,200, fully guaranteed | Rookie deal; fifth-year option decision due before May 3, 2027 |
| Haener | $836,111 (Spotrac) | — | Signed to the 53 Oct. 7; Over the Cap still listed his practice-squad deal Friday |
| Dart | $3,858,623 (OTC) / $3,869,500 (Spotrac) | $4,630,348 (OTC) | Fully guaranteed rookie deal through 2028 |
The Giants owe McCarthy only the weekly checks of his $1,075,000 base salary that remained after the trade. The Over the Cap and Spotrac figures differ by $59,725, one of 18 weekly installments. His 2027 money is a $1,190,000 base salary and a $2,585,200 roster bonus. Our contract explainer covers the fifth-year option.
Open questions
- Who backs up Winston at Washington, and whether McCarthy or Haener is designated the emergency third quarterback. The inactive list Sunday will show any designation.
- Whether the Giants use a McCarthy package in a game.
- Whether the Giants designate Dart to return, and when.
- Whether the Giants exercise McCarthy's fifth-year option for 2028. Notice is due before May 3, 2027.