The New York Giants face a quarterback shortage after Jaxson Dart's potential season-ending injury, leaving Jameis Winston as their primary option. The article explores possible solutions including trading for Carson Wentz from the Vikings or Joe Flacco from the Bengals, though both scenarios seem unlikely due to team reluctance and personal preferences. Other possibilities include signing free agents like Jake Browning, Russell Wilson, Jimmy Garoppolo, Will Levis, or even a comeback attempt by Philip Rivers, each with their own challenges and uncertainties.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-23,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Jaxson Dart, the 23-year-old quarterback for the New York Giants, is expected to undergo season-ending knee surgery after suffering severe damage to his left knee during a game against the Los Angeles Rams on Monday night. The injury includes damage to his MCL, PCL, and meniscus, though his ACL seems fine. This comes as a significant blow to the team's prospects for the rest of the season.
Dart was injured in the first quarter when he was sandwiched between multiple defenders, causing a collision with his left knee. He had only recently become the starter after an injury to Russell Wilson earlier this year. In 14 games and 12 starts during his rookie season, Dart completed 63.7% of his passes for 2,272 yards with 15 touchdowns and five interceptions.
With Dart out indefinitely, Jameis Winston, a 12-year veteran who struggled in relief against the Rams on Monday night, is set to take over as the starting quarterback. The Giants now face an uphill battle, as they were originally projected to win around 8 games for the season but are now being offered betting odds of only 5.5 wins by sportsbooks.
The timing of Dart's injury has also reignited discussions about a so-called "Trump Curse," after the quarterback was praised by then-President Donald Trump at a Republican rally in May for having legs like tree trunks, shortly before his injury occurred. This curse theory suggests that players or teams receiving presidential attention often face significant setbacks soon afterward.
Written for “Jaxson Dart Injury Giants” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 26 other(s) covering the same event.
Quarterbacks don’t grow on trees.
asserted
Quarterbacks → grow → trees
If Jaxson Dart is out for the season, as the Giants fear, then a solution better than Jameis Winston will be hard to find.
asserted
solution → fear → Winston
tRY IT NOWBut the Giants likely still need to add someone to either challenge Winston or be his backup ahead of Jake Haener (39 career passes).
asserted
Giants → try → Haener
But, with Kyler Murray back to starting, are the Vikings willing to make McCarthy their No. 2 and deal Wentz, who started last week?
asserted
who → start → Wentz
Would Wentz, who is playing close to home, even want to come?
asserted
who → play → home
He and John Harbaugh were a winning pair for 11 seasons, including a Super Bowl in 2012.
asserted
He → win → 2012
Like Winston, Flacco can still sling it for a couple of games here or there, but a whole season is a tall order.
asserted
season → sling → games
The Bengals have Super Bowl dreams, too, so why trade their Joe Burrow insurance?
asserted
Bengals → have → insurance
Unless the Giants overpay, why would the Eagles bail them out of a crisis?
asserted
Eagles → overpay → crisis
That said, McKee, who was demoted from No. 2 to No. 3 by the offseason addition of Andy Dalton, is a free agent after the season and has had good starts.
asserted
who → say → starts
Rush played for Harbaugh’s Ravens last season, and the Falcons offense is a four-quarterback mess, with Rush getting pulled last week after two starts without taking a snap in the red zone.
asserted
Rush → play → zone
Yes, he’s injury-prone.
asserted
he → ’ → ?
But the Dolphins are footing his enormous salary, so it won’t cost the Giants much in money or assets.
asserted
it → foot → money
Patrick Mahomes looks great again, so Fields isn’t as needed as expected.
asserted
Fields → look → ?
Fields was a disaster in New York for the Jets last year, but he and Giants offensive coordinator Matt Nagy have a history.
asserted
he → have → history
Considered one of the NFL’s top backups after his 2023 breakout with the Bengals, Browning crashed into reality over five games last season.
asserted
Browning → consider → games
He was cut by the Buccaneers in August.
asserted
He → cut → August
He finished last season as Giants QB3 behind Dart and Winston and now is working as an analyst for CBS, but he has avoided saying “retired.”
Jimmy Garoppolo:
asserted
he → finish → CBS
Is he retired?
asserted
he → retire → ?
The former 49ers franchise quarterback was lukewarm about returning to the high-powered Rams this offseason and hasn’t started a game since Jan. 5, 2025.
asserted
quarterback → return → Jan.
Cut by the Titans in August, the former second-round pick just signed to the Jets practice squad, but he can be poached for a spot on a 53-man roster.
asserted
he → Cut → roster
The 44-year-old high school football coach unretired after a four-year layoff to try to save the Colts last season.
asserted
coach → unretire → Colts
He says it was a one-time thing.
asserted
it → say → ?
But wouldn’t it be cool for him to finally play for the team that drafted him (and traded him for Eli Manning) in 2004?
asserted
that → play → 2004
The longtime apple of Giants fans’ eyes because Joe Schoen once said nice things has never started an NFL game and now is on the Titans practice squad.
asserted
Schoen → say → squad
Mullens hasn’t started since Jan. 7, 2024, and is idling on the Jaguars practice squad for the second straight year.
asserted
Mullens → start → year
The Aporia
