Jaxson Dart faces possible season-ending surgery after knee injury, reports say

New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart could miss the remainder of the NFL season after further tests raised concerns about the knee injury he suffered against the Los Angeles Rams. The Guardian reported on Tuesday, citing ESPN, that Dart faces an extended absence and that season-ending surgery is a possibility, rather than a confirmed outcome.

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The latest reporting represented a change from the initial assessment following New York's 28-6 defeat on Monday night. Early reports described a sprained medial collateral ligament in Dart's left knee and said he had avoided broken bones, with an MRI scheduled for Tuesday. ESPN's Adam Schefter subsequently reported that additional testing had revealed a more serious injury than first anticipated.

Giants head coach John Harbaugh had sounded more hopeful immediately after the game. According to the Guardian, Harbaugh said on Monday that he believed the worst had been avoided and did not expect a long-term absence, although he offered no specific recovery timetable. Tuesday's reports raised the prospect of a much longer layoff; they did not establish that surgery had been scheduled or that Dart's season was definitively over.

Dart, 23, was injured on the Giants' opening possession, taking a hit from Byron Young and Josaiah Stewart on New York's seventh play. The second-year quarterback later watched the second half from the sideline in a tracksuit. The injury followed a strong start to his season in the Giants' opening-week victory over the Dallas Cowboys, leaving New York without the quarterback who had led that win.

Jameis Winston took over against Los Angeles but was unable to produce a touchdown. He threw an interception in the end zone, and the Giants scored all six of their points through field goals. The Rams' victory therefore brought both a defeat for New York and uncertainty over how long its starting quarterback would be unavailable.

Dart was among several quarterbacks hurt during Week 2. The Guardian also reported that Chicago's Caleb Williams was week-to-week with a hamstring injury sustained against Minnesota, while Washington's Jayden Daniels had dislocated his left elbow against Dallas and had no timetable for returning.