Editor’s note: Shortly after this article went live, Daniel Jones was officially cleared for contact. However, it’s still uncertain if he will play in Week 9.
New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones remains sidelined after suffering a neck injury in Week 5 against the Miami Dolphins and it’s unclear when, exactly, he’ll be able to return.
Reports suggest that Jones suffered weakness in his left arm and although some strength has returned, he is still not cleared for contact. The Giants are hopeful that he’ll be able to take the field in Week 10 against the Dallas Cowboys, but that’s far from certain.
Compounding matters, veteran quarterback Tyrod Taylor, Jones’ backup, suffered a serious rib cage injury on Sunday afternoon and remains hospitalized as of this writing.
With both Jones and Taylor ailing, the Giants are left with only practice squad quarterback Tommy DeVito on the roster. And that’s simply not going to cut it.
Unless Jones (or Taylor) makes a miraculous and unexpected recovery by the weekend, the Giants will be forced to sign a quarterback — potentially two. One to start and one to serve as a backup.
Here is a look at some options.
Carson Wentz
The 30-year-old Carson Wentz is a former first-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles and has plenty of NFC East experience having also played for the Washington Commanders.
A Super Bowl champion and one-time All-Pro, Wentz would provide the Giants a spot starter if necessary but it won’t come without some competition.
The Minnesota Vikings lost quarterback Kirk Cousins to a torn Achilles in Week 8 and will be on the hunt for a replacement of their own.
Nick Foles
Speaking of Super Bowl champions, Nick Foles is the only person not named Eli Manning to defeat Tom Brady’s New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. Ironically, his performance gave Wentz a ring.
A 2012 third-round pick of the Eagles, Foles has appeared in 71 career regular season games with 58 starts. He’s a one-time Pro Bowler and former Super Bowl MVP.
Although Foles has pondered retirement, he hasn’t made that official. Perhaps the Giants can convince him to hold off on that for now.
Colin Kaepernick
Some may scoff at this but Colin Kaepernick still maintains that he’d like to play in the NFL — ideally as a starter. He claims to be practicing every day and just waiting for that phone to ring, so why not?
The Giants wouldn’t allow DeVito to throw on Sunday and if they’re down and out that bad, could Kap really be worse?
The 35-year-old Kaepernick hasn’t thrown an NFL pass since 2016 but can beggars really be choosers?
Matt Ryan
Matt Ryan seems more than comfortable in the CBS booth and after watching what happened to Giants quarterbacks this season (and in person on Sunday), it’s highly unlikely that he’ll sign up to play behind this offensive line.
Still, Ryan is less than a year removed from slinging it on an NFL field and could, potentially, be sold on a return. However, it’d probably be too rich for the Giants’ blood as they’d have to convince him to leave a cushy broadcast salary.
Joe Flacco
Not even a month ago, Joe Flacco let it be known that he can “still play” and wants to give the NFL one more shot. He has experience playing in New York and at MetLife Stadium, and even got a taste of NFC East life with the Eagles back in 2021.
The former Super Bowl MVP spent the previous two seasons with the Jets and has seen action in 183 career regular season games.
Flacco needs one more win for 100 on his career.
Cam Newton
Prior to the start of this season, Cam Newton listed all of the quarterbacks he’d be willing to back up. At the very least, that means he’s open to returning to an NFL field.
The 34-year-old Newton, who is a one-time NFL MVP, has 148 regular season starts under his belt and is just one year removed from the last time he took the field.
Newton is a run-heavy quarterback which would be ideal for the Giants and their mess of an offense.
Colt McCoy
Colt McCoy had a workout for the Minnesota Vikings in early October but no deal was reached at the time. There’s little doubt they’ll be circling back around to him now that Cousins is out, but perhaps the Giants can undercut them.
McCoy is no stranger to the Giants, New York, and MetLife Stadium as he spent the 2020 season with Big Blue. He stepped in for an injured Daniel Jones that season and picked up a stunning win over the Seattle Seahawks.
McCoy has appeared in 56 career regular season games and is a high-IQ guy.
Matt Barkley
The Giants worked out quarterback Matt Barkley just a few short weeks ago (alongside Ian Book) and now might be the time to give him a ring.
The 33-year-old Barkley was a fourth-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2013 NFL draft. He quickly became a journeyman, making stops with nine different teams over his 11-year career, including two stints with the Buffalo Bills.
Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll are both familiar with Barkley from their time in Buffalo.
