Los Angeles Rams outside linebacker Byron Young offered strong words on New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart, who is dealing with an MCL sprain following a hit he took during “Monday Night Football” in Week 2.
Young combined with bookend Josaiah Stewart on the play.
“Never play to hurt anybody I pray for a healthy recovery [hands together/praying emoji],” Young captioned a post on his Instagram story, including a clip of the play.
“Never play to hurt anybody I pray for a healthy recovery 🙏🏾”
Dart made it seven snaps into the contest, finishing the night 3-for-5 for 20 yards. He had the Giants close to scoring range, and their offense struggled to generate much without him and with Jameis Winston in his place.
The Rams sacked Winston twice, with Young and rookie Wesley Bailey each logging one.
Dart was a big part of the hype around this game for the Giants, who navigated several other injuries during the contest, including losing Andrew Thomas and Brian Burns.
Byron Young, Rams Emerge Relatively Healthy From Win Over Giants
The best news for Young and the Rams is that they avoided a similar rash of injuries during the win over the Giants. Their only loss of note was running back Ronnie Rivers who is third on the depth chart behind Kyren Williams and Blake Corum.
Rams head coach Sean McVay did not provide an update on Rivers during his postgame media availability. They were without Myles Garrett and Puka Nacua.
McVay praised the Rams’ efforts.
McVay also acknowledged Dart’s injury, sendig the second-year QB a message of support, and tipped his cap to the Giants, saying, “Hopefully, Dart is okay,” and that Winston is “a really good quarterback that I got a lot of respect for.”
Young and the Rams moved to 1-1 on the season. McVay touted the Rams’ ability to generate pressure all night as a key.
Garrett could miss up to seven more weeks. The Rams need similar efforts from Young and Co.
Giants Bracing for Multi-Week Absence From Jaxson Dart
According to SNY’s Conor Hughes, the Giants are expecting to possibly be without Dart for multiple weeks. That is amid their other injury concerns.
“Sources have confirmed to SNY that Dart did suffer a sprained MCL,” Hughes said during his wrap-up. From my understanding, the team is bracing for about a 2-to-3, 2-to-4 week absence from their starting quarterback.
“This was absolutely an avoidance of the worst-case scenario, because his ACL is believed to be intact. That will be confirmed with an MRI tomorrow in New York. Also, his MCL is strained, not torn. If that MCL was torn, you are looking at a ‘months’ injury, not a ‘weeks’ injury like this one for Dart.”
Hughes did express concerns about Dart’s mobility upon returning, like with a knee brace.
The reality is tough. It is still a far better scenario than it initially appeared to be for Dart against Young, Stewart, and the Rams on “Monday Night Football.”
For Young and the Rams, it was a get-right game. They will look to keep up the momentum in Week 3 against the Denver Broncos on “Sunday Night Football.” It was nearly a season-derailing one for the Giants, and certainly one that alters their outlook for the time being.
Rams’ Byron Young Does Not Mince Words About Giants’ Jaxson Dart