Is Jaxson Dart's Season Really Over? John Harbaugh Keeps The Door Open For A New York Giants Comeback

Jaxson Dart's season ended after seven snaps, but the New York Giants are still winning.© Image via: X/@NFL

Seven snaps. That was the entire night for Jaxson Dart against the Los Angeles Rams on September 21. Since then, the New York Giants quarterback has traded the huddle for a rehab room, and his team has kept winning without him. The Giants now lead the NFC East at 5-2-1, two games clear of the Dallas Cowboys. Coach John Harbaugh says Dart is done for the regular season, yet he has stopped short of saying the same about the playoffs. That gap between "done" and "maybe" is exactly where this whole story lives right now.

What Happened When Rams Linebacker Byron Young Hit Jaxson Dart

Byron Young caught Dart on his right side. The force pushed the quarterback into Josaiah Stewart, who got a piece of Dart's legs as he went down hard. Dart walked to the blue medical tent, then limped toward the locker room. By halftime, the Giants had ruled him out.

The early signs were mild. X-rays came back negative, and Harbaugh said Dart wanted to keep playing. A sprained MCL sounded like the worst case. Then reports landed the next day and flipped the story. Dart had damaged his left MCL and meniscus, and Pro Football Network adds that the PCL was hurt too. Surgeons repaired the ligament and cartilage.

The latest on the #Gaints QB room. Jaxson Dart has been really helpful with J.J. McCarthy as he continues to rehab. McCarthy I'm told has a full grasp of the playbook mentally, he just hasn't repped it. my report from our @NFLonPrime pregame show. https://t.co/69ctZbdEKy

— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) November 13, 2026

Durability was already a talking point. Dart missed two games with a concussion as a rookie and went through several more evaluations that year. He scrambles hard and stretches plays, and that style has cost him before.

Why The New York Giants Are Not Waiting On Jaxson Dart In January

Harbaugh has ruled Dart out through Week 18. The playoffs remain an open question, and Dart stays on injured reserve for now.

Giants insider Art Stapleton shared the most recent look on Nov. 6. "Good to see Jaxson Dart in the Giants' locker room today. He's obviously been around the team in recent weeks, continuing his rehab. Still using crutches to get around," Stapleton tweeted on Nov. 6.

Crutches this far into the process matter. A quarterback has to plant, cut and take contact, and none of that happens on crutches. A January return would need rehab to move faster than anyone has hinted so far.

The Giants have built around that reality. They sent a fifth-round pick to the Minnesota Vikings for J.J. McCarthy a week after the injury. McCarthy started as the third-stringer behind Jameis Winston and Jake Haener, moved up to backup, then won the job after Winston struggled against the New Orleans Saints in Week 6. He is 2-0 as the starter, with Winston right behind him. Dart, who is 23, sits behind both on the depth chart.