Jaxson Dart (knee) questionable to return

Garafolo notes that a meniscus repair typically requires a 4-6 month recovery timeline. If Dart heals at the fastest possible speed, he could return in late January. This seems somewhat unlikely, given the fact that he will also have his MCL surgically fixed and must rehab the injured PCL, but apparently Harbaugh is feeling optimistic. In the meantime, QB Jameis Winston has been named the starter.

The extent of Dart’s knee injury was not initially understood, but further testing showed a serious injury to his MCL and PCL. He’ll be sidelined for the rest of the season, effectively ending the Giants’ season. Jameis Winston will likely take over as the team’s starter. It’s a letdown for Dart, who started the year hot against the Cowboys. In relief of Dart in Week 2, Winston was 25 percent below his expected completion rate, the worst mark in the league. Look for the Giants to be a run-heavy, hyper-conservative offense going forward with targets concentrated between Isaiah Likely and Malik Nabers. Winston might be usable in superflex formats for now.

Vacchiano explores myriad trade options that the Giants could explore in a lengthy article, but ultimately determines that rolling with Winston, while QB Jaxson Dart (knee) is sidelined, is the team’s best course of action. According to Vacchiano, the Giants viewed Winston “as a solid veteran who was smart and talented enough to get them through a short stretch if Dart went down” when they signed him to a two-year, $13 million contract extension two weeks ago. “Their faith gets shakier when it’s a long-term proposition they were hoping to avoid,” but alas, this appears to be the situation the team is currently facing. If Winston can return to something resembling his 2019 Buccaneers form, when he posted a 5,109/33/30 passing stat line en route to an overall QB3 finish, he could facilitate usable outings for Giants pass catchers. Betting on that exact outcome is unwise, but Winston could be a QB1 streamer in the right situation.

Harbaugh was scooped to his press conference by multiple reporters saying that Dart was likely to miss the remainder of the season, so he probably didn’t have time to change the talking points. It feels like we’re just waiting on this to be official at this point; the Giants will likely name Jameis Winston their starter on Wednesday.

Obviously we’re looking for a follow up from the team, but this is absolutely brutal news for the Giants. Jameis Winston looked abysmal in his fill-in action against the Rams in Week 2 and, if he played like that going forward, would lower expectations for all Giants skill position players. More importantly for Dart, he’ll miss most of his second season and enter the third year of his rookie contract trying to rehab and prove to the Giants that he’s going to be their quarterback of the future. It’s a rough, rough break for the 23-year-old quarterback.

Dart is set to undergo more testing on Tuesday after injuring his knee early in Monday night’s loss to the Rams. Garafolo said players usually take 4-6 weeks to recover from an MCL sprain, though the extent of Dart’s injury remains to be seen. Dart, according to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan, tried to talk Giants coaches into letting him re-enter Monday night’s game in the second half. Jameis Winston, who was miserably inaccurate and mistake-prone against the Rams, would figure to get at least a couple starts while Dart recovers. Winston should be picked up in superflex leagues ahead of the team’s Week 3 game against the Titans.

Dart managed to convert 9-of-10 third downs as the Giants completely controlled the flow of the game against their divisional rivals, leading to over 13 more minutes of possession than the Cowboys. Fantasy managers will also be ecstatic about the 11 rush attempts, specifically due to the fact that over half of those were designed carries in Matt Nagy’s offense. Touchdown passes to tight end Isaiah Likely happened before and after halftime, with the second-year quarterback adding a third to running back Devin Singletary in the fourth quarter. Dart’s passing volume could see a significant uptick when the Giants hit the road to face the Rams in Week 2, during which fantasy managers can treat him as a back end QB1.

Dart made a trip to the blue medical tent at the end of the first quarter after going down hard on a sack from Vikings safety Jay Ward. After clearing concussion protocol, Dart would return to the field and fire a 15-yard touchdown pass to rookie Malachi Fields in the end zone. It would be the final play of the day for Dart, who took two sacks on the afternoon and didn’t add anything on the ground. While it’s good news to hear Dart cleared protocol, the visit to the tent is concerning for a player who was evaluated five times in 10 games for a concussion last season.

According to Nagy, the Giants’ goals for Dart this offseason consisted of getting into the huddle, calling the play, getting up to the line of scrimmage, seeing the defense and playing fast. The New York Daily News’ Pat Leonard writes that Dart’s summer has not been “devoid of progress” because Dart has apparently mastered the first three items on the checklist — which seems like a fairly low bar to clear. Dart and his pass catchers have also reportedly struggled to connect downfield. Coaches like Nagy, pass game coordinator and QB coach Brian Callahan and senior offensive assistant Greg Roman dot coach John Harbaugh’s somewhat disconcerting staff. Dart is a talented player who may be able to overcome perceived schematic shortcomings. It would be really nice to see him perform well in the preseason, but Harbaugh has not yet revealed whether Dart will suit up this weekend.

Raanan said Dart slid feet first at the tail end of a third down run during a recent training camp practice — his first slide in 11 camp practices. His teammates approved. “We’ve been begging him to do that for a while,” Giants outside linebacker Brian Burns said. “So, I’m glad that he’s starting to practice it.” Giants head coach John Harbaugh said he “clapped” and “applauded” upon seeing Dart slide instead of initiate contact with an oncoming defender, as he often did during his 2025 rookie season, resulting in a series of head injuries. One of the first topics new quarterbacks coach Brian Callahan discussed with Dart in the spring was the importance of avoiding big hits when he leaves the pocket, according to Raanan. Dart has said, per Raanan, that he “would still try to run over defenders” near the end zone. If Dart takes the advice seriously, he should have a healthier second NFL season.