A hit on the opening drive
New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart is expected to miss the rest of the 2026 season after suffering multiple injuries to his left knee in Monday night's 28-6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. The 23-year-old was hurt on the team's opening possession and did not return.
Initial tests on Monday night raised hopes that Dart had avoided a major injury. Giants head coach John Harbaugh said after the game that the problem was "in the neighborhood" of a sprained medial collateral ligament, and he declined to set a timeline until further scans were done.
What the MRI showed
An MRI on Tuesday changed the picture. While Dart's ACL is intact, the scan revealed damage to the meniscus, MCL and PCL, with the meniscus the most concerning of the three. Surgery focused on the meniscus and MCL is viewed as giving him the best chance of a full recovery heading into the 2027 season.
Dart was the 25th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and had become the face of the Giants' offense. He had thrown for 250 yards, ranking 31st in the league, with three touchdown passes, all of them in New York's Week 1 win over the Dallas Cowboys.
What it means for the Giants
Jameis Winston finished Monday's game in relief, completing 11 of 27 passes for 111 yards with one interception. He is now the starter for a team that had built its season around a young quarterback on a cheap rookie contract.
The injury is the latest in a rough stretch for NFL quarterbacks in the opening weeks of the season. Washington's Jayden Daniels re-injured his elbow in the Commanders' loss to Dallas and will see another specialist, with surgery still a possibility. Elsewhere, the Kansas City Chiefs have improved to 2-0 behind strong play from their quarterback, showing how quickly a season can turn on the health of one position.