New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart will undergo season-ending surgery on his left knee, ESPN reported on Wednesday, Sept. 23, and coach John Harbaugh confirmed after practice that the second-year starter will miss the rest of the 2026 regular season. Dart suffered damage to his meniscus, MCL and PCL; his ACL is intact, according to ESPN and NFL.com.
The injury
Dart was hurt on the Giants' opening drive of Monday night's 28-6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on Sept. 21. On a third-and-8 pass attempt, according to NBC News, he was sandwiched between Rams linebackers Josaiah Stewart and Byron Young and fell to the ground holding his left knee, Yahoo Sports reported. The injury came on the seventh play from scrimmage; Dart had completed three of five passes for 20 yards, per Giants.com.
Dart limped off, was initially listed as questionable and was then ruled out. He returned to the sideline in street clothes for the rest of the game. X-rays were negative, and he had an MRI on Tuesday after the team flew home from Los Angeles, according to Yahoo Sports. Initial reports indicated an MCL sprain and an absence of a few weeks before further tests revealed a more serious injury, according to Sports Illustrated.
ESPN reported that the meniscus is the main issue. NFL Network's Mike Garafolo said the timeline for a meniscus repair is four to six months, NFL.com reported. ESPN said the surgery is expected to happen "relatively soon" and that the Giants expect Dart to make a full recovery and be ready for the 2027 season.
Harbaugh leaves the playoff door open
Asked whether Dart could return if the Giants reach the postseason, Harbaugh said: "I said it – regular season. Other than that, how do you know? There's no way to know. It just depends on the recovery. You can't pinpoint it exactly," according to Giants.com.
"He's bummed. It's hard. The season's not over, but it is for him," Harbaugh said of Dart.
Winston takes over
Jameis Winston will start, beginning Sunday, Sept. 27, at 1 p.m. ET against the Tennessee Titans (0-2) at MetLife Stadium. In relief of Dart against the Rams, Winston completed 11 of 27 passes for 111 yards with an interception and was sacked twice.
Winston, 32, the No. 1 overall pick in 2015, signed a two-year, $13 million extension before Week 1, according to Yahoo Sports. He has played 109 regular-season games (89 starts) for the Buccaneers, Saints, Browns and Giants, completing 60.9% of his passes for 24,903 yards, 156 touchdowns and 114 interceptions, per Giants.com. He started Weeks 11 and 12 for the Giants in 2025 while Dart was in the concussion protocol. Harbaugh said the staff will build the game plan around Winston's skill set with 15 games remaining. The Giants play the Titans and Arizona Cardinals at home before visiting the Washington Commanders in Week 5.
Searching for another quarterback
Jake Haener, who is on the practice squad, will serve as the backup this week, per NFL.com. Harbaugh said the team will add a quarterback, preferably a veteran, and that all avenues, including a trade, are on the table. Garafolo reported that veteran free agent Jimmy Garoppolo is expected to be a candidate. Sports Illustrated's Giants Country also listed Brandon Allen, released by the Giants in final cuts in late August, and Joe Milton III as options.
Dart's career so far
The Giants traded with the Houston Texans to move up to No. 25 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft and selected Dart out of Ole Miss, sending Houston the 34th and 99th picks and a 2026 third-rounder, NFL.com reported. He left Ole Miss as the school's career passing yards leader with 10,617, passing Eli Manning.
Dart, 23, began his rookie season as Russell Wilson's backup and became the starter after an 0-3 start. In 14 games and 12 starts, he completed 63.7% of his passes for 2,272 yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions, and ran for 487 yards and nine touchdowns, NBC News reported. He missed two games with a concussion.
In the 2026 opener on Sept. 13, Harbaugh's first game as Giants coach, Dart went 23-of-29 for 230 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 54 yards on 11 carries in a 28-20 win over the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium, Sports Illustrated reported. Per Giants.com, he became the first quarterback in NFL history to open a season with at least three passing touchdowns, 50 rushing yards and a passer rating of 130.
Dart's injury comes two weeks into Harbaugh's first season with the Giants, who hired him after the Ravens fired him after 18 seasons. The Giants also added receivers this offseason when they signed Odell Beckham Jr., JuJu Smith-Schuster and Braxton Berrios.
Source: ESPN, NFL.com, Giants.com
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