Jameis Winston steps in as Jaxson Dart's knee injury clouds Giants' plans

Rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart exited with an apparent MCL sprain, and Chris Canty doubts New York can win behind backup Jameis Winston.

New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart exited Monday night's game against the Los Angeles Rams early in the first quarter with a left knee injury. According to Ian Rapoport, Dart is believed to have suffered an MCL sprain. X-rays came back negative, and an MRI is expected to follow.

With Dart unavailable, veteran Jameis Winston took over at quarterback. The Rams won the game 28-3, and Winston completed 40% of his passes for 111 yards with one interception.

Former Super Bowl champion Chris Canty, speaking on First Take, questioned whether the Giants can stay competitive with Winston as the starter. "If Jameis Winston has to be the starter, hell no!" Canty said, pointing to Winston's record of 2-7 across nine starts since the beginning of 2024, with 14 touchdowns and 15 interceptions.

Canty also criticized the Rams' defensive approach, saying coordinator Chris Shula loaded the line of scrimmage to shut down New York's run game and challenged Winston to throw, which he could not do consistently.

The Giants are scheduled to host their next matchup against the Tennessee Titans in Week 3 as Dart's status remains uncertain.