The New York Giants may have watched their entire season crumble in Week 2. Giants QB Jaxson Dart suffered a devastating knee injury that should sideline him for the rest of the season. But that brutal injury is not stopping Dart from showing up for his teammates ahead of Week 3.
Dart was present at the Giants team facility on Thursday. He sat in meetings today while wearing a brace and limping around the building, per Giants beat writer Pat Leonard.
Giants offensive coordinator Matt Nagy said that Dart joked in their morning meeting that he's ready to go. The second-year quarterback is clearly still mentally locked in despite his body not being able to play.
Dart's injury is terrible news for New York for several reasons. The young franchise quarterback looked primed to thrive in John Harbaugh's first year as head coach. He had a stellar Week 1 outing, going 26-of-34 passing for 230 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. Dart also added 11 carries for 54 rushing yards on the ground.
Now the Giants will turn to Jameis Winston as their starting quarterback moving forward. The 32-year-old veteran is battle tested during the regular season, but he lacks experience during the playoffs. But at this point, looking ahead to the postseason is much too soon for New York. Even if the Giants still have big plans for the rest of the season.
Harbaugh has not closed the door on Dart returning in the playoffs, so Giants fans can remain hopeful throughout the rest of the regular season.
It will be exciting to see how the Giants fare without their starting quarterback moving forward. But at least he'll be cheering them on in team meetings and on the sideline.
New York has a solid chance to improve to 2-1 on the season this weekend. If they can get that win, it could significantly improve the attitude around the team facility.
The Giants will host the Titans in Week 3. That contest kicks off at 1 p.m. ET on Sept. 27 from MetLife Stadium.