The New York Giants are making another quick adjustment at quarterback. After promoting Jake Haener from the practice squad to the 53-man roster only two days earlier, the team is waiving him and plans to bring him back to the practice squad once he clears waivers, via Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.
The move is a direct result of New York’s trade for J.J. McCarthy, which immediately reshaped the depth chart behind Jameis Winston.
Haener’s latest stay on the active roster was brief but not surprising.
With starter Jaxson Dart lost for the season after surgery to repair damage to his meniscus, MCL, and PCL, the Giants needed a second quarterback on game day. Winston started Sunday’s 12-7 win over Tennessee, and Haener was the emergency option behind him.
The subsequent arrival of McCarthy, acquired from Minnesota for a 2027 fifth-round pick pending a physical, made that extra active-roster spot unnecessary. McCarthy is now expected to serve as Winston’s primary backup and a potential starter while Dart recovers.
For Haener, the sequence is familiar. The 27-year-old former Fresno State starter was a fourth-round pick of the Saints in 2023 and spent three seasons in New Orleans.
He appeared in eight games in 2024, including one start, completing 18 of 39 passes for 226 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.
After being waived by the Saints, he bounced through workouts and a short stay with Kansas City before landing with the Giants in mid-August.
He impressed enough in the preseason, including a near-perfect outing against the Jets, to earn a practice-squad role when New York initially kept only Dart and Winston. Promotion, waiver, and a planned return to the practice squad now complete another loop.
The transaction also sends a message about the rest of the quarterback market. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported that Haener remaining the third-string option after clearing waivers suggests the Giants are not adding another passer for now.
That leaves Winston and McCarthy on the active roster, with Haener available as an emergency arm if needed. Whether another team claims him off waivers is the only real risk in the plan.
If he returns as expected, New York keeps a known quantity in the building without using a precious 53-man spot.
In a season already defined by injury at the most important position, the Giants are stacking options rather than standing still.
Haener’s role is modest, but the roster math is straightforward: McCarthy upgrades the backup job, Winston remains the veteran in place, and Haener stays close enough to help if the next emergency arrives.
