The Giants are three deep at quarterback.
As first reported by NFL Network, Jake Haener was signed to the active roster on Wednesday, where he will join starters Jameis Winston and JJ McCarthy.
It’s an odd choice, as Harner is eligible for two more gameday practice squad boosts.
Head coach John Harbaugh acknowledged earlier this week that McCarthy, who has been getting a crash course since being acquired last Monday, will likely replace Harner as the No. 2 option on Sunday against the Commanders.
By keeping three quarterbacks on the active roster, the Giants can deactivate one of them and declare him an emergency quarterback. That means the third unit can only take the field if the top two quarterbacks are injured and declared ineligible to return.
In order to make such a roster move last week, the Giants had to have all three quarterbacks among their 46 active players since Harner was a promotion to the practice squad. Therefore, adding Harner to the active roster gives the Giants a way to make another special teams player eligible while not being shorthanded in the event of disaster at quarterback.