The New York Giants are 2-1 after three weeks of the 2026 regular season, and one would think the fanbase would be charged up.
But several devastating injuries and an uncertain future have made this young season feel like a decade. Odd things are happening. Odell Beckham Jr. made the roster after a solid training camp, only to be buried on the team's depth chart. No one knows why.
Here are five other things Giants fans never thought they'd be talking about in John Harbaugh's first year as head coach.
Jaxson Dart's season-ending knee injury
The Giants' future hinges on Dart taking the huge leap into the realm of franchise quarterbacks. On opening night, Dart put in a beautiful performance, leading the Giants to a 28-20 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in front of a national television
audience. No one questioned that Dart was their man.
In Week 2, Dart went down early in the 28-6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Monday night. When it was learned he would miss the season, many felt the season was lost, too.
Brian Burns' knee injury
The Giants had one Pro Bowler last year: Burns. He is their premier pass rusher and defensive captain. He sucked it up and played with a left ankle injury against the Titans on Sunday, only to leave the field with a torn ACL in his right knee.
Burns, who recorded 16.5 sacks in 2025, has no sacks through three games this year. Regardless, he is irreplaceable and will be sorely missed.
Jameis Winston and J.J. McCarthy
The answer to the question would be no and no. Giants fans were hoping to see Dart play a whole season. Now they get Winston, a walking crapshoot under center, and McCarthy, a former top-10 pick who played his way out of Minnesota.
Neither option is an appealing one. The Giants have scored 18 points over the past two games, all on field goals. Winston does not look comfortable in this offense. McCarthy offers a lot of what Dart does, except he's more mistake-prone.
Jordan Stout and Dominic Zvada
Every Giants Super Bowl team had great specialists, but this duo could end up being one of their best. Stout, for some reason, wasn't re-signed by the Baltimore Ravens and followed Harbaugh and coordinator Chris Horton to New York. He can do it all. He has a powerful leg and can make the finesse kicks.
Zvada has been perfect so far, making all six field goal attempts and all four point-after attempts (PATs). He has also excelled on kickoffs. After several years of riding the kicker carousel, it appears the Giants have their man.
Jevon Holland
Many were questioning the three-year, $45.3 million contract the Giants inked Holland to last March in free agency as frivolous. No one's talking about that any longer. After a mid-level performance last year in Shane Bowen's defense, Holland has been the Giants' best and most consistent player on Dennard Wilson's unit. He has intercepted a pass in each game this season.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: 5 things New York Giants fans didn't expect to be talking about in 2026
