The Giants’ hopes took a hit Monday night when Jaxson Dart exited the game against the Los Angeles Rams after absorbing a heavy shot, and the outlook only got worse from there. What first sounded like a short-term absence has now turned into a season-ending decision, with the team and Dart choosing surgery over a late-year return that would have arrived too late to matter in the playoff race.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported the news, saying, "Giants QB Jaxson Dart is expected to have knee surgery that will lead to a full recovery but end his 2026 season, sources told me and @MikeGarafolo," Rapoport reports. "Dart has been soliciting opinions on the injury.
And the ACL is intact. But surgery is coming."
The injury isn’t an ACL tear, but it’s still significant. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Dart’s MCL, PCL, and meniscus are damaged. That combination left surgery as the clearest path forward for both Dart and the Giants.
It’s a tough call, but one that makes sense given the timing. Dart would have been looking at a return so late in the 2026 season that the risk of pushing through rehab simply wouldn’t have matched the payoff. Even if everything went perfectly, the window to contribute would have been narrow.
For a young quarterback with a future ahead of him, the safer route is the smarter one. The Giants can now focus on getting Dart fully healthy for 2027 instead of forcing a comeback that likely would have come when the season was already out of reach.
That’s the reality here: a painful setback, but one the Giants believe is worth absorbing now rather than gambling on later.
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