The New York Giants entered last season with a plan at quarterback and, for once, it actually worked out. Veteran Russell Wilson started the season and was relieved by rookie Jaxson Dart after four games. When Dart suffered a concussion during the season, causing him to miss two games, Jameis Winston was there to pick up the reins and lead the club.
This year will be slightly different. Wilson is gone, Dart is the anointed saviour, and Winston will be on hand again should he be needed.
Here’s a quick preview of the Giants’ quarterback room under new head coach John Harbaugh heading into training camp.
Offensive coordinator Matt Nagy
Nagy comes over to the Giants from the Kansas City Chiefs, where he was their offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach the past three seasons. Before that, Nagy was the head coach of the Chicago Bears from 2018 to 2021. He began his NFL coaching career with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2008, worked there for five seasons before moving to Kansas City to become their quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator from 2013 to 2017.
Nagy is largely responsible for the development of Patrick Mahomes and is a two-time Super Bowl champion. He now has Dart under his purview, and expectations are high.
Quarterbacks coach Brian Callahan
Callahan is coming off a dismal 23-game showing as the head coach of the Tennessee Titans, who went 4-19 under his guidance. The Giants aren’t concerned about that as they have hired Callahan to do what he does best: Coach quarterbacks and coordinate the passing game.
Callahan was the offensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals from 2019 to 2023, running an offense with Joe Burrow under center and nearly winning the Super Bowl in 2021. He and Dart have already formed a solid working relationship.
Jaxson Dart, starter
The Giants traded up into the first round to select Dart No. 25 overall last April, a move that was both panned and praised. After one season in, the jury is still out, but optimism remains very high. Dart’s play was as electrifying as it was terrifying. He made some jaw-dropping plays with both his arm and his legs, but his repeated failure to protect himself on the field cost him games and sent him to the blue injury tent more times than the Giants cared to see. With a new coaching staff, a run-heavy offensive game plan, a bruising fullback in Patrick Ricard to watch his back, and better personnel all around, Dart is poised to become a star.
Jameis Winston, primary backup
Winston is making more noise off the field than on it these days with his budding television career, but don’t let that throw you. The former Heisman Trophy winner and top pick in the NFL draft can still play. Now 32, Winston is seen as a sort of locker-room unifier and sage who can step in to relieve Dart at a moment’s notice. He started two games last season and threw for a combined 567 yards in the two losses, but he did catch a touchdown pass, the first of his career.
Brandon Allen, backup
The Giants signed the 33-year-old Allen this offseason as further insurance for Dart. Allen is entering his 11th season in the NFL and has played for six NFL teams, including three (Denver, Cincinnati, and Tennessee) where Callahan coached. Allen has 10 NFL starts to his credit and was a sixth-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars out of Arkansas in 2016. His primary function is likely to help ease the other quarterbacks into the new offense.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Giants training camp preview: Quarterback hierarchy already established
Reporting by John Fennelly, Giants Wire / Giants Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By John Fennelly, Giants Wire | USA TODAY Network
