The worst possible outcome has come to fruition for the 2026 New York Giants.
Quarterback Jaxson Dart is out for the season, according NFL Media insider Ian Rapoport. The second-year signal-caller injured his knee during the Giants' Week 2 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Monday, Sept. 21.
Despite an initial prognosis suggesting only a few weeks of missed time, MRI imaging on Dart's knee on Tuesday, Sept. 22 revealed his ailment was worse than the team expected.
After the initial belief was Dart sustained a potentially minor MCL sprain, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Dart had damage to his MCL, PCL and meniscus. He will undergo surgery to repair his injured knee and miss the rest of the 2026 season as a result.
knee, exits MNF game vs Rams
Dart, 23, was just seven plays into his second start of his sophomore campaign when he suffered the knee injury. The 2025 first-round pick took simultaneous hits from Rams edge rushers Byron Young and Josaiah Stewart on a third-and-8 play. Stewart's knee slammed into the side of Dart's lower left leg as the quarterback made a throw.
The second-year received medical attention on the field before walking off, then back to the locker room under his own power. Giants head coach John Harbaugh said on Sept. 22 that Dart tried to get back in the game after his injury, but the team's doctors told him he couldn't return. They ruled him out of the game early in the third quarter.
Backup quarterback Jameis Winston played out the rest of the game after Dart's injury on the Giants' first possession. Winston, who struggled in relief of Dart in Week 2, is in line to be New York's starter moving forward this season, barring a move via free agency or trade.
Dart's injury has a major impact on expectations for the Giants for the rest of 2026. Here's what we know about his injury and what New York should expect for the next 16 weeks:
Jaxson Dart injury update
Dart will miss the rest of the 2026 season after suffering a knee injury in Week 2.
On Wednesday, Sept. 23, NFL media insiders Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo reported that the 23-year-old will miss the rest of the season after he undergoes surgery to repair his knee.
The Giants' second-year quarterback took a hit from two Rams defenders on Monday, Sept. 21 after making a throw at the end of the Giants' first drive. Dart appeared to take a blow to his left knee in the hit, and he remained down on the field, grabbing his leg after the play.
New York's starting quarterback eventually walked off the field under his own power. After a brief medical evaluation in the Giants' sideline medical tent, he walked back to his team's locker room with a slight limp and without any help from trainers.
After X-rays came back negative, the initial prognosis was a sprained MCL and potentially some missed time. But on Tuesday, Sept. 22, reports emerged that Dart's MRIs showed more damage than expected to his left knee.
"Evaluations are ongoing," Harbaugh told reporters on Sept. 22. "We haven't got any final decisions yet, we've learned a lot more. I wouldn't want to share too much until decisions get made."
Giants QB depth chart
- Jaxson Dart (out for season – knee)
- Jameis Winston
New York only had two quarterbacks on its active roster in Week 2 of the 2026 season. Dart was ruled out of the "Monday Night Football" clash with the Rams after he injured his knee on the Giants' first offensive drive of the game.
Winston led New York's offense the rest of the way after Dart's injury. The veteran journeyman is in his second season as the Giants' backup quarterback.
There is currently no one behind Winston on the Giants' depth chart and active roster. Jake Haener, the former Saints' fourth-round pick in 2023, is on New York's practice squad after signing with the team in the offseason.
Jaxson Dart's injury reshapes Giants' 2026 expectations
New York's mission going into 2026 was to determine what its future might look like with a young core built around Dart. For one game, the future looked bright.
Week 1 of the season was the young quarterback's first full game playing with rising star receiver Malik Nabers after Nabers tore his ACL in Dart's Week 4 debut last year. It was Dart's first time playing with running back Cam Skattebo since Skattebo dislocated his ankle in Week 8 last year.
The win over the Cowboys was the professional debut of first-round pick Francis "Sisi" Mauigoa at right guard, protecting Dart upfront alongside standout tackles Andrew Thomas and Jermaine Eluemunor. It was Harbaugh's first game (and first win) as head coach of the New York Giants. The game was Dart's first game in a new offense, constructed by the brain trust of offensive coordinator Matt Nagy and senior offensive assistant Greg Roman.
For one game – and, arguably, the seven plays of Week 2 – the sky looked like the limit for both Dart and the Giants as a whole. Harbaugh's coaching had clearly raised the floor for his new team, and Dart was surgical against Dallas' (admittedly subpar) defense in Week 1.
He commanded the line of scrimmage; he was confident in checking plays and calling audibles. He worked well with Nabers and with Skattebo. He led the Giants to 394 yards of offense and dominated time of possession against a divisional rival. NFL analysts across the country started to declare New York an NFC East contender after the "Sunday Night Football" win over the Cowboys.
Seven plays into Week 2, everything changed. And when Dart's injury proved to be worse than expected, knocking him out for the season, more things changed. Without their young quarterback, what does 2026 mean for the Giants now?
No sugar-coating it here: it may be a lost season. Even aside from Dart's injury, the Giants also lost left tackle Andrew Thomas and edge rusher Brian Burns to injuries in Week 2 as well. Those are arguably the Giants' best/most important three players. Nabers, the likely No. 4 on that list, also got banged up. No Dart (and no Thomas and no Burns) very likely means no real hope of playoff contention, and worse than that, it means no more looks at a young quarterback still very much in the development stage of his career.
This injury obviously derails the Giants' immediate future, but the best fans can do now is have hope it doesn't ruin things for Dart in the long-term. He showed signs of growth even just one game into his second year, and now he won't play in another game that matters for about a year.
Dart, Harbaugh, Nagy will all surely talk about how important it is for the quarterback to accumulate "mental reps" as he recovers, but those pale in comparison to the experience that comes on the field.
When not worrying about Dart and his future, fans can focus on the other young players on the 2026 roster, largely on defense.
How do cornerback Deonte Banks (in his walk year) and safety Tyler Nubin look in their first year with DC Dennard Wilson? Does rookie Colton Hood have a role in this secondary moving forward? What will Arvell Reese's long-term future look like? Will he get more pass-rush opportunities in his rookie season?
On the offensive side, the 2026 season will be all about Mauigoa and wideout Malachi Fields' development in Year 1. Mauigoa allowed no pressures in Week 1, but Week 2 was more shaky. Fields appears to be emerging as New York's WR2 – though he may be a tertiary target behind Nabers and tight end Isaiah Likely. Even without Dart around, this season will provide ample opportunities for both rookies to prove themselves on offense.
Until Dart's return in 2027, all eyes will be on the Youth Movement and player development in New York.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jaxson Dart is out for the season. What does 2026 mean for Giants now?
