2026 Giants Starting QB Out for the Season
It was reported by Ian Rapoport that New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart will miss the rest of the 2026 season after needing season-ending surgery on his damaged meniscus, MCL, and PCL. During New York’s opening possession of Week Two’s Monday Night Football matchup between the Giants and the Los Angeles Rams, Dart suffered the injury to his left knee. This injury would put backup QB Jameis Winston in the game, yet his 111 passing yards and one interception weren’t nearly enough as New York was squashed by Los Angeles 28-6. Now, with this big-time injury happening, the Giants need to figure out what’s next for their 2026 season fast before it’s too late, because on the surface, after their 23-year-old starting QB’s injury, they look like a team on the outside looking in.
During Week One in the Giants’ 28-20 win over the Dallas Cowboys, Dart looked great as he threw 23 completions out of 29 attempts for 230 passing yards and three touchdowns. New York looked like a completely different team than last season, as they looked to regroup and make the NFL Playoffs for the first time in years under new head coach John Harbaugh. While there’s a chance this team could see the playoffs for the first time since 2022, losing their 23-year-old starting quarterback just made that reality a whole lot harder to see through. Winston’s veteran leadership and knowledge must propel this New York squad against some of the NFL’s best this season, such as the Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, and the reigning Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks.
Dart played 14 games during his rookie season in 2025. The 23-year-old threw for 2,272 passing yards, 15 touchdowns, and five interceptions. He had a 64% completion percentage, and many fans praised him as the Giants QB of the future. Now that supposed future must wait, as New York fans have to wait a whole other year to see Dart’s game develop further. While there’s still plenty of time left in the season, the odds of New York making the NFL Playoffs this year just dropped off significantly.
