Giants face a nightmare scenario after tests paint a worse picture for Jaxson Dart than it was initially expected
Second-year quarterback has now a real risk of missing the rest of the 2026 season with a knee injury.
The New York Giants left the “Monday Night Football” loss to the Los Angeles Rams thinking they would be without Jaxson Dart for a few weeks at most. Well, the situation has just gotten significantly worse for the quarterback and the franchise.
According to NFL insiders Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo, an MRI revealed that Dart’s knee injury is more severe than anticipated. So instead of an MCL sprain that would make him miss little time, his actual knee injury will force Dart to miss an extended period of time, and potentially the rest of the 2026 season.
Nightmare scenario for New York and its future
Dart was attempting to convert a third down when he absorbed contact and crumbled to the turf. The second-year quarterback completed three of five passes for 20 yards on the opening drive before the injury put his status in question. He left the field under his own power rather than on a cart, which is a positive sign, and followed to the locker room.
The timing of this injury is brutal for New York. Dart had a strong debut in Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys, completing 23 of 29 passes for 230 yards, three touchdown passes, zero interceptions, and a 134.2 passer rating in a 28-20 Giants victory. The expectation heading into Monday night was that Dart would continue building on that performance and take a meaningful leap in Year 2 as the franchise’s long-term answer at quarterback.
Depth situation at QB
With only Jameis Winston on the 53-man roster and Jake Haener on the practice squad, the Giants may need to explore external options to keep the position stable.
The most straightforward path is promoting Haener to the active roster or using one of the team’s three available game-day elevations on the player. That buys time without requiring an external transaction. But with a long absence ahead for Dart, the Giants could benefit from adding another arm to the mix.
The most logical candidate is Brandon Allen, the veteran backup who spent training camp with the Giants. Allen knows the system, knows offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, and spent time with the same skill-position players. In a compressed window, that familiarity is impactful. He could acclimate quickly and function as a reliable emergency option.
Will Levis, who would be an option due to his playing style and connection to Brian Callahan, signed with the New York Jets’ practice squad instead.
