Week 2 of the 2026 season was chock-full of injuries to starting quarterbacks, and New York Giants starter Jaxson Dart was unable to escape unscathed in the final game of the week.
On New York’s first drive of “Monday Night Football,” Dart took a hit from two Los Angeles Rams defenders and sustained a knee injury. He missed the rest of the game, and his status for Week 3 (and beyond) is unclear.
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The Giants had reason for optimism with their young starter in the short term. Dart was able to walk off of the field and to the locker room under his own power immediately after the injury. X-rays on his knee were negative, and the quarterback reportedly even wanted to return to the game before he was told “no.”
Here’s what we know about Dart’s injury so far as the NFL calendar turns to Week 3:
JAXSON DART: Giants QB hurts knee, exits MNF game vs Rams
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Giants QB Jaxson Dart leaves Monday Night Football vs. Rams with injury
New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (6) drops to throw during the first quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on Sept. 21, 2026.
(Gary A. Vasquez, Imagn Images)
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Giants QB Jaxson Dart leaves Monday Night Football vs. Rams with injury
New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (6) drops to throw during the first quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on Sept. 21, 2026.
(Gary A. Vasquez, Imagn Images)
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Giants QB Jaxson Dart leaves Monday Night Football vs. Rams with injury
Byron Young #0 of the Los Angeles Rams tackles Jaxson Dart #6 of the New York Giants after a pass during the first quarter of the game at SoFi Stadium on Sept. 21, 2026 in Inglewood, Calif.
(Sean M. Haffey, Getty Images)
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Giants QB Jaxson Dart leaves Monday Night Football vs. Rams with injury
Byron Young #0 of the Los Angeles Rams tackles Jaxson Dart #6 of the New York Giants after a pass during the first quarter of the game at SoFi Stadium on Sept. 21, 2026 in Inglewood, Calif.
(Sean M. Haffey, Getty Images)
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Giants QB Jaxson Dart leaves Monday Night Football vs. Rams with injury
Jaxson Dart #6 of the New York Giants lays on the ground after being tackled by Byron Young #0 of the Los Angeles Rams during the first quarter of the game at SoFi Stadium. The New York Giants appeared to lose their quarterback early in Week 2’s “Monday Night Football” game.
Jaxson Dart went down with an apparent leg injury on the Giants‘ first drive of the night against the Los Angeles Rams. The second-year quarterback took a hit from a couple of Rams defenders after he threw on New York’s seventh play from scrimmage, and he stayed down on the ground, grabbing at his leg after the play was over.
After receiving medical attention on the field, Dart was able to walk off the field under his own power. The quarterback went to the Giants’ sideline blue medical tent for further evaluation, then walked out of the tent and back to the locker room.
(Harry How, Getty Images)
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Giants QB Jaxson Dart leaves Monday Night Football vs. Rams with injury
Jaxson Dart #6 of the New York Giants walks off the field after a play against the Los Angeles Rams during the first quarter of the game at SoFi Stadium on Sept. 21, 2026 in Inglewood.
(Sean M. Haffey, Getty Images)
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Giants QB Jaxson Dart leaves Monday Night Football vs. Rams with injury
Jaxson Dart #6 of the New York Giants walks off the field after a play against the Los Angeles Rams during the first quarter of the game at SoFi Stadium.
(Harry How, Getty Images)
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Giants QB Jaxson Dart leaves Monday Night Football vs. Rams with injury
Jaxson Dart #6 of the New York Giants walks off the field after a play against the Los Angeles Rams during the first quarter.
(Harry How, Getty Images)
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Giants QB Jaxson Dart leaves Monday Night Football vs. Rams with injury
Jaxson Dart #6 of the New York Giants walks back to the locker room after being injured.
(Harry How, Getty Images)
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Giants QB Jaxson Dart leaves Monday Night Football vs. Rams with injury
Jaxson Dart #6 of the New York Giants walks back to the locker room after being injured in a play against Byron Young #0 of the Los Angeles Rams.
(Harry How, Getty Images)
NFL Media and ESPN insider Ian Rapoport’s report from Monday, Sept. 21 only indicated that Dart “is expected to miss some time.” The NFL Media and ESPN insider’s report of a possible MCL sprain could give a possible timeline for Dart’s return.
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Dart is expected to undergo an MRI on Tuesday that will reveal the extent of the damage to the passer’s knee.
According to Stanford Medicine, a mild or grade 1 MCL injuries “usually get better in 1 to 3 weeks.” Moderate or grade 2 MCL injuries take “about a month” to heal, while severe or grade 3 MCL injuries “may require wearing a hinged brace for a few months, and limiting weight on the leg for 4 to 6 weeks.”
What happened to Jaxson Dart?
Dart went down with a leg injury on the Giants’ first drive of the night against the Rams. The second-year quarterback took a hit from a couple of Rams defenders after he threw on New York’s seventh play from scrimmage, and he stayed down on the ground, grabbing at his leg after the play was over.
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