Giants rocked by injuries as Dart limps off in crushing loss to Rams

Nearly every crucial playmaker for the New York Giants suffered an injury during Monday night’s 28-6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, starting with quarterback Jaxson Dart hurting his left knee on the team’s initial drive.

Coach John Harbaugh would not confirm reports suggesting Dart suffered an MCL sprain, preferring to await additional medical testing.

“That’s in the neighborhood of it, I would say,” Harbaugh said. “We’ll get an MRI (on Tuesday) and have a real good feel for it, and give you more information from there.”

The Giants also lost premier pass rusher Brian Burns to a left ankle sprain and left tackle Andrew Thomas to an apparent lower-body injury in the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, wide receiver Malik Nabers was required to pop his dislocated right shoulder back into position after suffering the injury on the penultimate play of the first quarter.

“But that’s just part of football,” Burns said. “Guys go down every day, and it’s always next guy up. That’s why you try to develop a culture where you don’t slack off in production with the guys that’s behind.”

<

Even with that mindset, New York was unable to regain its footing after Dart was injured less than four minutes into the game while under pressure on third-and-8. Rams linebacker Byron Young hit Dart from his right side, forcing him into linebacker Josaiah Stewart, who undercut Dart’s legs to cause a hard fall. Dart walked gingerly to the sideline under his own power, entered the medical tent, and later walked to the locker room.

Jameis Winston stepped in to replace Dart on the following Giants possession.

Dart, who completed 3 of 5 passes for 20 yards prior to his exit, spent the entire second half watching from the sideline dressed in street clothes.

“Any time your quarterback goes down, obviously that’s a gut punch to the team, right?” said Winston, who finished 11 of 27 for 111 yards with one interception.

The physical setbacks continued to accumulate throughout the evening.

Nabers suffered his injury while battling Rams cornerback Trent McDuffie for position on a first-down throw. Immediately clutching his right shoulder, Nabers ran to the sideline in visible discomfort. Although he returned to action on the next drive, he appeared to labor significantly at times, ending the night with a single 1-yard reception on four targets.

“Nah, I ain’t gonna make no excuse for anything that happened in the game,” said Nabers, who indicated he would undergo X-rays on Tuesday. “Yeah, I’m battling through injuries, but it doesn’t make a difference on how the performance was.”

Burns sustained his ankle sprain after being stepped on by Rams center Coleman Shelton, though he turned down a cart ride to the locker room when the game concluded. He declined to offer any predictions regarding his status for Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans.

“I’ve dealt with this,” Burns said. “It just depends on how fast you can get the swelling and inflammation out. So I’m just going to do everything possible to get it as tamed as I can.”

<

New York is no stranger to navigating games without these critical contributors. Last season, Dart suffered a concussion in Week 10 against the Bears during his rookie year, while Nabers missed the vast majority of the campaign with a torn ACL in his right knee.

However, the momentum from Harbaugh’s winning debut against the Cowboys now gives way to the probability of Winston operating New York’s offense for the near future. An 11-year veteran drafted first overall in 2015, Winston started two games and appeared in three for the Giants in 2025, passing for 567 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions.

Harbaugh maintained that the Giants cannot allow themselves to be dispirited by the sudden turn of events.

“All around the league, everybody deals with it,” he said. “This is football. This is the NFL. This is what you do. So our task is not to lament it.”

From news to politics, travel to sport, culture to climate – The Independent has a host of free newsletters to suit your interests. To find the stories you want to read, and more, in your inbox, click Giants rocked by injuries as Dart.