Jaxson Dart did not want to stay on the sideline Monday night. According to Cam Skattebo, the Giants' medical staff made the decision for him. Speaking after New York's 28-6 loss to the Rams at SoFi Stadium, the running back confirmed that his quarterback lobbied to return from a knee injury suffered on the game's opening drive.

“He told me he wanted to get back out there and the doctors kind of told him no,” Skattebo told reporters after the game. “That's really all we talked about. We didn't get really into details, we were still in the middle of the game. I kind of just was like, damn.”

"He told me he wanted to get back out there and the doctors kind of told him no… he told me what was happening. I'm going to leave that to him and the doctors and stuff. I think he'll be alright here in the next few weeks."

– Cam Skattebo on Jaxson Dart's injury pic.twitter.com/kLLHVpY3xe

— SNY Giants (@SNYGiants) September 22, 2026

Skattebo left the specifics to Dart and the doctors but sounded optimistic. “I think he'll be alright here in the next few weeks,” he said.

The injury came on a third-and-8 from the Rams' 41. Dart threw incomplete toward Theo Johnson and was sandwiched by linebackers Byron Young and Josaiah Stewart, landing hard and grabbing his left knee. He was examined in the blue medical tent, then limped to the locker room under his own power. The Giants initially listed him as questionable before ruling him out early in the third quarter.

The early signs are encouraging. X-rays came back negative, and Dart is believed to have sprained his MCL based on initial exams, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo. He is expected to miss some time and will undergo an MRI on Tuesday. General manager Joe Schoen told ESPN at halftime that Dart is “going to be OK.”

Head coach John Harbaugh stopped short of confirming the diagnosis. “That's in the neighborhood of it, I would say,” he said post-game. “We'll get an MRI tomorrow and have a really good feel for it and give you more information then.”

The severity will determine how long New York waits. A mild MCL sprain typically heals in one to three weeks, while a moderate one generally takes four to six.

The Giants felt his absence immediately. Jameis Winston completed just 4 of 12 passes for 58 yards with an interception in the first half, and New York never found the end zone. The Giants fell to 1-1 and host the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.