Before he ever showed his parents and high school coach that he had a dart-thrower of an arm, Jaxson Dart was a great safety following in his father’s footsteps. By the age of nine, though, he realized he wanted more out of his talent. A quarterback position – which requires playing almost every position at once while still controlling every play – was the best option. But you see, while the need to lead and learn made him a QB, the safety in him never left.

As a freshman at USC, he once injured his knee in the second quarter but continued to play before requiring surgery. Fast forward to now, Dart continues to play the QB role like a safety. We have all seen it time and again as he launches into a run and does not mind tackling his defenders to grab those extra yards. He almost showed as much in the New York Giants‘ Monday night loss against the Los Angeles Rams. Unfortunately, though, the optimism everyone had 24 hours ago has dimmed with the latest update.

“Breaking: Further testing today revealed Giants QB Jaxson Dart’s knee injury is worse than initially thought, and the team and Dart now are facing the possibility of season-ending knee surgery, sources tell ESPN,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported.

Dart got injured in the Giants’ seventh snap in their opening drive. He was under pressure as he dropped back and jumped to make a throw downfield. Just then, he was sandwiched between Rams linebackers Josaiah Stewart and Byron Young before falling to the ground holding his left knee. He was taken to the blue tent for examination, but declined an X-ray at first and asked to be taken to the locker room instead. What happened next was rather interesting and showed just why the ‘safety’ in Dart is still alive.

As a primary quarterback and a franchise cornerstone, you always want to be out on the field with your team and help them win. If not, it can be emotionally and mentally draining. And so, when Dart did eventually get X-rays done and they came out clean, the quarterback tried to go back onto the field. Another reason to return was that Jameis Winston also took some hard hits, and the team could’ve been required to throw in the towel if a serious injury had occurred to him as well. Yet, the Giants took an interesting step.

His resistance reached a point that the team had to confiscate his uniform just so he couldn’t go out. Dart later came out and watched the game from the sidelines. Once the team returned from Los Angeles, Dart underwent an MRI on Tuesday to learn that he could need a season-ending surgery. This is undeniably a bad situation for the new head coach John Harbaugh, seeing how the game went with his backup under center.

Harbaugh doesn’t really believe in complicating things. So, when finalizing the roster, he assumed only one backup in the QB room would be enough. As we saw in the MNF game, it wasn’t.

Jameis Winston took over and finished 11-of-27 for 111 yards and an interception in the 6-28 loss. The Giants managed only six points after Dart’s departure, a stark contrast to the offense that helped them beat the Dallas Cowboys 28-20 in Week 1. Still, head coach John Harbaugh wasn’t ready to put a timeline on his quarterback.

John Harbaugh, Giants give an update on Dart’s condition

“Right now evaluations are ongoing. We haven’t gotten any final decisions yet,” Harbaugh said on Tuesday. “We’ve learned a lot more. I wouldn’t really want to share too much until decisions get made, and that takes more than one person. It takes everybody involved.

“I don’t think I can really comment on [Dart missing the season] right now until we know for sure what’s going to transpire.”

That was a sharp change in tone immediately from what the front office claimed after Monday’s 28-6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

Harbaugh had said the Giants appeared to have avoided a “devastating outcome,” while general manager Joe Schoen told ESPN that Dart was “going to be OK.”

Dart is a coach’s dream, considering the tough QB could do almost everything on the field. Not having him effectively puts the Giants’ playoff dreams on ice.

The QB had been one of the biggest reasons for optimism in the Giants’ building. The 23-year-old opened the season by completing 23 of 29 passes for 230 yards and three touchdowns against Dallas, building on a promising rookie season in which he threw for 2,272 yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions while adding 487 rushing yards and nine scores. Now, New York will have to find a way forward without the quarterback it had begun building around.

The Giants’ Next Move at Quarterback Without Jaxson Dart

Winston is the obvious first option. He has NFL starting experience and already knows the Giants’ offense, but his performance against the Rams showed why he is not the team’s long-term answer. And the team does not have anyone else in their current QB room. The next obvious question is: then who?

• Jake Haener is currently on the practice squad, giving New York an internal option. He started one of eight games he played for the New Orleans Saints in 2024, but with one TD against one interception and six sacks, he doesn’t seem like the best option. The Giants could also look outside the building.
• Jimmy Garoppolo is one veteran possibility. The 34-year-old has started 64 NFL games and has a 43-21 QB record. He was a great support to Matthew Stafford in Los Angeles, where he played until last season.
• Another option could be Josh Johnson. He has spent time with 14 teams and has familiarity with Harbaugh from their time with the Ravens.
• One more familiar name is Jake Browning, who previously had a strong run as Joe Burrow’s replacement in Cincinnati.
• The trade market could offer a younger possibility in J.J. McCarthy. The former first-round pick played for Jim Harbaugh at Michigan, and his experience in a run-heavy system could make him an interesting fit for the Giants.

For now, though, Winston is the man New York will have to trust. The Giants are scheduled to face the Tennessee Titans, Arizona Cardinals, Washington Commanders, and New Orleans Saints before their Week 8 bye, making the quarterback decision even more important if Dart’s injury proves season-ending.