What Jaxson Dart injury means for Jameis Winston, Giants offense

What Jaxson Dart injury means for Jameis Winston, Giants offense originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The Giants saw their season flash before their eyes on Monday night when Jaxson Dart went down in a heap on the team’s opening drive against the Rams.

Dart, who had a stellar performance in a win over the Cowboys in Week 1, immediately grabbed at his knee before hobbling off the field.

The Giants quarterback didn’t need a cart to come off the field, which was a more positive sign, but the sight was not what any New York fan wanted to see after such a promising start to the season.

Here’s what to know about Dart’s injury and how it impacts the Giants’ offense.

MORE:Latest injury updates on Jaxson Dart

What happened to Jaxson Dart?

Dart appeared to suffer a knee injury on a third-down pass to Theo Johnson that fell incomplete. The Giants quarterback was hit by Rams defenders from both directions, and the final hit bent his leg awkwardly. Fortunately, Dart’s leg wasn’t planted when he was hit.

Jaxson Dart went down in pain and was clutching at his left knee after this play.

He was able to walk off the field on his own. pic.twitter.com/gDH8gCrkPA

— ESPN (@espn) September 22, 2026

Dart immediately grabbed at his knee and remained down for a handful of minutes, but he was able to limp off the field and put weight on his injured leg. After being evaluated in the medical tent, Dart declined the cart and walked back to the locker room.

Dart appeared back on the sideline in the second half of the game, supporting his teammates without a crutch but with a noticeable limp.

The initial report on his injury came right as the game concluded, as Ian Rapoport reported that Dart has suffered a sprained MCL. While he is “expected to miss some time,” it’s great news overall for Dart and the Giants, who avoid the worst-case scenario of a torn ACL or other serious knee injury.

Giants head coach John Harbaugh said after the game that it was “not a devastating outcome” for Dart, which seems to support Rapoport’s report.

MORE: Which 2-0, 0-2 teams are contenders or pretenders in NFL?

Giants QB depth chart

RankQB1Jaxson Dart2Jameis Winston3Jake Haener/Braxton Barrios

Dart’s backup is veteran Jameis Winston, who is now in his 12th season since being selected No. 1 overall by the Buccaneers in 2015. Winston started two games for the Giants last season and last won a start with the Browns in 2024.

If Winston goes down, the Giants’ emergency No. 3 quarterback is wide receiver Braxton Barrios, who played quarterback in high school. They also have former Fresno State quarterback Jake Haener on the practice squad, but he was not named to the gameday roster. He will likely be elevated to the roster as the backup if Dart misses time, unless the Giants sign someone else to back Winston up.

What’s next for Giants offense?

Whether it’s a short-term or long-term absence, the Giants will have to change the way they operate without Dart.

Winston, now 32 years old, isn’t nearly the mobile quarterback Dart is, forcing New York to rely more on Cam Skattebo and the rest of the running back room to gain yards on the ground and giving opposing defenses one less threat to worry about.

Even if Dart does return shortly, a hurting knee could limit his mobility. 

Dart had flashed a strong early connection with Isaiah Likely. It isn’t clear whether Winston has the same chemistry with Likely, who wasn’t on the team last season, so the Giants will have to figure out if the former Ravens tight end can still be such a featured part of their offense.