The Giants' backup quarterback for Eli Manning in the 2011 NFL season was David Carr. Carr returned to New York after spending the 2010 season with the San Francisco 49ers and was listed behind Manning on the Giants' regular-season roster.
Carr had previously backed up Manning in New York during the 2008 and 2009 seasons. The Giants' 2010 backup, Sage Rosenfels, was placed on injured reserve before the 2011 season, helping create the opening for Carr's return. Carr had originally been the first overall pick in the 2002 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans.
Although Carr was the primary veteran reserve, he did not throw a regular-season or postseason pass for the Giants in 2011. Manning started all 16 regular-season games and led New York to a 9–7 record, then helped defeat the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI. Carr remained with the Giants in 2012, while Curtis Painter later became the primary backup and rookie Ryan Nassib the third quarterback.