Quick Answer
Jaxson Dart hurt his left knee in the Giants’ Week 2 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football. The team suspects a sprained MCL. X-rays came back clear, and Dart had an MRI on Tuesday to confirm how bad it is. Until he’s cleared, Jameis Winston takes over as New York’s starting quarterback.
Jaxson Dart Injury Update: Here is the latest news on New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart after he sustained a knee injury during Week 2 against the Los Angeles Rams.
Giants fans watched their season take a scary turn on Monday night. Jaxson Dart, the young quarterback the whole team is built around, went down clutching his knee in the first quarter — and for a few minutes, nobody knew how bad it was.
What Happened to Jaxson Dart on Monday Night?
The injury occurred on a third-and-8 play during the New York Giants’ opening drive against the Rams. Dart was launching a deep pass when he was brought down by two defenders applying pressure from either side. Byron Young and Josaiah Stewart both converged on the quarterback. Stewart lowered his shoulder into the left knee of Dart, buckling it as he planted his foot down while throwing.
Dart fell to the turf clutching his left knee immediately after releasing the ball. He had to roll on the ground for a short while before rising up on his own after the incompletion. The quarterback hobbled to the sideline, not needing the cart to return to the locker room but walking nonetheless. The Giants’ medical staff examined him in the blue tent on the field before sending him to the locker room for another scan. At the SoFi Stadium, he got an X-ray, which cleared him of a fracture, ruling out a more severe injury.
Dart completed 3 of 5 passes for 20 yards before exiting the game. Jameis Winston came in for the Giants, completing 11 of 27 passes for 111 yards with an interception and two sacks, as New York lost 28-6 to the Rams.
How Serious Is Dart’s Knee Injury?
Per NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, the working theory is a (not season ending!) MCL sprain. This, of course, would be much better than an ACL tear. Giants GM Joe Schoen said a brief but comforting remarks to ESPN’s Laura Rutledge on the sideline, “He’s going to be OK.” Head coach John Harbaugh echoed that thought on the podium after the game, “We’ll have an MRI on him and that will give us a really good feel for it.”
MCL sprains are graded from one to three, with one being the mildest. A grade one injury may sideline a player for just a few games. A grade two could keep him out for two to four weeks. A grade three, complete tear, may require a cast or possibly surgery and keep him out of action for six weeks or more. The good news is that, until the MRI results are in, nobody knows how bad it is.
What This Means for the Giants’ Quarterback Depth
This is the part that actually affects how New York plays over the next few weeks.
| Depth Chart Spot | Player | Current Status |
| QB1 (starter, pending Dart’s return) | Jameis Winston | Took over mid-game vs. Rams |
| QB2 (backup arm) | Practice squad / backup | Team likely adds depth this week |
| Injured | Jaxson Dart | MRI results pending, suspected MCL sprain |
Winston isn’t a rookie, he’s a first overall selection who has started for multiple teams, which is certainly useful for a Giants’ offense that can’t afford to be dysfunctional at the position. His production last Monday night (11 of 27 for one touchdown and two sacks against a stingy Rams defense) was a reminder of the difference between a competent game manager and a franchise quarterback like Dart, who has only played in 16 games through his first two seasons.
Dart is the Giants’ first round pick in 2025 out of Ole Miss, and he looked like the long term solution at quarterback, so having him sidelined for any extended period of time is going to be tough on an offense that has struggled to find consistency this year.
Dart’s Injury History Is Starting to Add Up
This is not the first fitness scare of Dart’s short career. During his rookie season, he missed Week 11 with a concussion suffered against the Bears and, the next morning, head coach Brian Daboll was fired. He was back on the field within a couple of weeks and looked good doing it. He also had a scary moment during the 2026 preseason opener when he was taken out by a hard sack from a Vikings defender and needed a tent evaluation to finish the drive with a touchdown pass.
None of it means Dart is injury-prone; plenty of young, mobile quarterbacks take hard hits in their first two seasons, but it does mean Giants fans need to be wary of his fitness in the coming year.
What Happens Next
The MRI results are the next big story. If it’s a grade 1 MCL sprain, there’s a decent chance that Dart could return to action on the field within a span of one or two weeks, and potentially much sooner with a favorable bye week scenario. On the other hand, a grade 2 sprain will certainly see Winston starting several games before he returns. Either way, expect the Giants to add additional depth at quarterback this week as a contingency plan, which is a common move across the league whenever there’s an injury scare at the position.
Frequently Asked Questions
What injury did Jaxson Dart suffer?
Dart suffered a left knee injury believed to be a sprained MCL during the Giants’ Week 2 game against the Los Angeles Rams. X-rays were negative, and he had an MRI on Tuesday to confirm the severity.
Will Jaxson Dart miss games?
It’s likely. Even a mild MCL sprain typically sidelines a quarterback for one to several weeks, depending on the grade of the sprain confirmed by the MRI.
Who is the Giants’ starting quarterback while Dart is out?
Jameis Winston, who entered in relief on Monday night, is set to start for the Giants until Dart is cleared to return.
Is Jaxson Dart’s injury a torn ACL?
No. Reports from NFL Network suggest the injury is a sprained MCL, not a torn ACL, which is a considerably less serious injury with a much shorter recovery time.
How did Jaxson Dart get injured?
He was hit by two Rams defenders, Byron Young and Josaiah Stewart, while throwing a deep pass. The contact bent his left knee inward as he released the ball.
