New York Giants fans held their breath on Monday night when hopeful franchise quarterback Jaxson Dart went down with what looked like an incredibly concerning knee injury.
Dart would not return to the game, and backup quarterback Jameis Winston closed out the game en route to a 28-6 defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Rams.
Giants fans are likely more concerned with Dart’s injury status rather than the outcome of the game, though, and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport shared that expectation late on Monday evening.
“#Giants QB Jaxson Dart is believed to have suffered a sprained MCL based on the initial exams, sources tell me and @MikeGarafolo,” Rapoport wrote in a post on X.
“X-Rays were negative and the MRI is coming Tuesday. Dart is expected to miss some time, though in general, positive news.”
How Much Time Could Jaxson Dart Miss for the Giants?
While no injury is positive news, it feels like the New York Giants potentially dodged what could’ve been a season-ending injury for Dart.
If Tuesday’s MRI does in fact conclude that Dart only suffered an MCL sprain, the injury won’t be season-ending, and he’ll have a chance to come back at some point in 2026.
The real question will be the severity of the MCL sprain. According to the Cleveland Clinic’s website, the recovery timeline could be anywhere from one week to several months.
“The time it takes to fully recover from an MCL tear depends on how severe the tear is. A grade 1 (mild) MCL tear usually heals within one to three weeks. A grade 2 (moderate) MCL tear generally takes four to six weeks to heal with treatment. A grade 3 (severe) MCL tear can take six weeks or more to heal with treatment. If you undergo surgery to fix your MCL tear, it could take longer.”
Considering Dart was able to return to the sidelines and watch the remainder of the game, the hope is that the grade of the sprain is on the lower side.
Regardless, the young quarterback is going to miss some time, and Winston will be the Giants‘ starter for the immediate future.
John Harbaugh on Jaxson Dart’s Injury
Speaking with reporters after the game, New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh wouldn’t confirm NFL Network’s report about the injury. He did say it was “in the neighborhood” of it, though.
“We’ll know tomorrow. That’s in the neighborhood of it, I would say. We’ll get an MRI tomorrow and have a really good feel for it and give you some more information then.”
Winston is set to hold down the fort while Dart recovers for Big Blue, but he didn’t exactly inspire confidence on Monday night.
The veteran quarterback completed 11 of 27 pass attempts for 111 yards and one interception. Winston consistently missed receivers on multiple occasions, as Giants fans surely know.
We’ll see if a week of practice with the starters will get him more in rhythm for Week 3’s matchup against the Tennessee Titans.
Giants’ Jaxson Dart Gets ‘Positive’ Injury Diagnosis After Scary Knee Injury