Giants QB Jaxson Dart to undergo season-ending knee surgery

New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart will undergo season-ending knee surgery, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo and ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Wednesday.

Dart has been seeking opinions on the injury he suffered during Monday night's 28-6 loss to the Rams, and the good news is that the ACL is intact, per NFL Network.

However, that will not prevent the QB from needing surgery. ESPN added that Dart suffered damage to his left MCL, PCL and meniscus, with the latter being the main issue.

Giants head coach John Harbaugh confirmed on Wednesday afternoon Dart will undergo season-ending surgery. Harbaugh, who did not specify when the surgery would take place, did leave the door open for Dart to return in the postseason. 

The timeline for a meniscus repair is four to six months, Garafolo noted. 

Harbaugh said Jameis Winston will be the Giants starting QB, beginning this week versus the Tennessee Titans. Jake Haener, currently on the practice squad, will serve as New York's backup this week, per Garafolo, but Harbaugh said the team would be adding a quarterback.

Veteran free agent Jimmy Garoppolo is expected to be a candidate to be brought in, Garafolo said. 

Harbaugh said all options are on the table for adding a quarterback, including a trade. 

Dart went down at the end of the Giants' first drive on Monday in Los Angeles. Winston replaced Dart and struggled, going 11 of 27 for 111 yards and an interception.

Initially, there was optimism surrounding Dart's injury, with the QB finishing the game standing on the sideline in street clothes. ESPN's Laura Rutledge reported during the broadcast that Dart actually attempted to get back in the game before the club took his jersey.

Since then, further imaging delivered a much worse reality.

Dart, the No. 25 overall pick in last year's draft, showed flashes of playmaking ability as a rookie but also missed two games due to a concussion. This year, the QB got off to a sensational start in Week 1, picking apart the Dallas Cowboys in an opening-night win. The optimism didn’t last another quarter.

Darts exit thrusts Winston into full-time duty for Harbaugh’s club. The 12-year vet looked bad in relief on Monday, missing layups a QB of his experience should make. The hope is that it was simply a blip, not a sign of things deteriorating for the 32-year-old.

The Giants opened the season with a swell of positivity in Harbaugh’s first season. Now, less than a fortnight into the season, disaster. The longtime NFL coach has a new beast to manage his way through early in his New York tenure.