New York Giants Quarterback Options After Jaxson Dart Injury

The New York Giants have a problem at quarterback, as Jaxson Dart will miss significant time after his injury Monday night in the Giants 28-6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

🚨Night Cap Recap 🚨

New York Giants QB Jaxson Dart Injury Worse Than Initially Thought. #bigblue #nfl https://t.co/kQZYEQzmQP

— Jim Biringer (@JimBiringer) September 22, 2026

On the opening drive, Dart got crunched, and his knee went two ways it wasn’t supposed to. He lay on the ground grasping his left knee. They helped him off the field, and he did not return. Initial reports were more optimistic, suggesting Jaxson Dart had a sprained MCL. That made sense; he was back on the sidelines and in street clothes, walking off the field following the game.

If it was a sprained MCL, then Dart would miss 4 to 6 weeks. However, the news was not so good when the Giants returned home. On Tuesday, the injury was worse than first thought, and the New York Giants are weighing their options, as head coach John Harbaugh told the press.

At this time, it is unclear what the damage is to his left knee, but there is a belief that if Jaxson Dart needs surgery, it will be season-ending surgery. That is something the New York Giants and their fans don’t want to hear.

But if that is the case, the New York Giants need a quarterback because Jameis Winston did not have a good night. Now, several factors here. Maybe he didn’t expect to play? The Giants were shocked by the injury, and let’s be honest, they are not as good as the Rams. However, if Winston had been a little better, maybe the Giants would have made it a game.

So General Manager Joe Schoen will be on the phone working the lines to find a quarterback who can either back up or start. Ideally, it would be a starter; the problem is there is not much proven talent out there.

The cheapest and maybe best option is Joe Flacco. Flacco knows Harbaugh, and they won a Super Bowl together with the Baltimore Ravens. Yes, Flacco is older, but he is still good enough to make the throws necessary to keep the New York Giants in contention. Maybe a cheaper option from the Cincinnati Bengals, or a Mac Jones from the San Francisco 49ers.

Remember, the 49ers made Jones a nice offer and did everything they could to keep him in San Francisco as the backup to Brock Purdy. If the Giants decide to trade, Flacco is a cheaper veteran option than Jones.

As for unproven options, there is Shedeur Sanders out of Cleveland, Drew Allar or Will Howard in Pittsburgh, JJ McCarthy in Minnesota, and Anthony Richardson in Indianapolis. It all depends on which direction the New York Giants want to go. However, regardless of how long Jaxson Dart is out, they need a quarterback to go with Jameis Winston.

This is a big year for the Giants with a new head coach. They can’t throw away the season just because the quarterback is injured. There is too much of the season left to just throw in the towel. It will be interesting to see what direction they go in given what information is out there.

For all we know, the New York Giants know Jaxson Dart needs surgery, and it is already planned. But it is a shame this core has had only 48 snaps together. Still, they need a quarterback and fast if they want to compete with a very favourable schedule this season.

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