Jaxson Dart suffered a gruesome knee injury in the New York Giants' 28-6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams during Monday Night Football. Initial reports suggested that the quarterback may have avoided a significant injury. Head coach John Harbaugh even said that a “devastating outcome” was avoided with Dart's knee.
However, further testing has told a different story. Now it is believed that Dart's injury is significant and will hold him out for a long period of time, with his season as a whole coming to a close being a realistic possibility. Dart was replaced in Week 2 by Jameis Winston, who is the only other quarterback on the active 53-man roster.
The fan-favorite, who was signed to a two-year contract extension less than a month ago, has had an up-and-down career. He really struggled under center against the Rams, though, and the Giants need to ensure the former Heisman winner doesn't tank their season.
Jameis Winston is a high-risk, high-reward player
Winston was the number one pick back in 2015. The Florida State product oftentimes put up huge numbers with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers because of his willingness to attempt big plays. However, Winston's risk-taking nature has also led to costly mistakes and high interception numbers. For example, in 2019 Winston led the league with 5,109 yards but also had a league-leading 30 interceptions.
The story was the same during his tenures with the New Orleans Saints and Cleveland Browns. Regardless, the Giants extended the quarterback because he is someone who can go out and win his team a game, which is a rarity for backup signal callers. The team knew that the backup QB position was important, too, because Dart has regularly put his body at risk to injury throughout his young career.
While this most recent injury wasn't Dart's fault, the Giants were well aware that Winston could see playing time at some point this year. Winston was just 11 for 27 for 111 yards when thrust into action in Week 2. He had no touchdowns and threw an interception, too. Of course, coming into a game in relief is never easy, but Winston got paid big bucks for a backup quarterback so he'd be ready to go when called upon.
The Giants are 1-1, but they have a core that is ready to compete for the postseason right now. The team is loaded with weapons, which include a running back trio of Cam Skattebo, Najee Harris, and Devin Singletary, as well as pass catchers like Isaiah Likely, Malachi Fields, and Malik Nabers.
The Giants blamed their struggles last season on injuries, but they can't use that excuse two years in a row. Winston needs to perform, and that means cutting down on the game-altering mistakes that have plagued him throughout his career. If the former number one pick can't figure things out, especially after receiving QB1 reps in practice, the Giants might have to look at alternatives at the quarterback position, assuming that Dart will be out for the year.