quarterback likely suffered a sprained left MCL on the first drive of Monday night’s 28-6 loss to the and will have an MRI on Tuesday, a report from ESPN mentioned. Notably, X-rays at SoFi Stadium were negative. Dart is expected to miss some time, but the early read is that the injury is not season-ending.
The damage came on third-and-8 of New York’s opening series. Dart was pressured, hit from his right by Rams linebacker Byron Young and driven into Josaiah Stewart. He landed hard, grabbed his knee, and walked to the medical tent with a limp. The Giants first listed him as questionable, then ruled him out early in the third quarter. He never took another snap.
Coach would not confirm a grade until the scan. “We’ll know more [Tuesday],” he said. On the reported MCL sprain, he added, “That’s in the neighborhood of it. We’ll get an MRI [Tuesday] and have a real good feel for it.”
Asked if New York Giants had avoided a career-altering result, he was clearer. “There’s no question. The fact that it’s not that outcome that you’re talking about, the devastating outcome, is really good news.”
General manager Joe Schoen struck the same tone at halftime. “He’s going to be OK,” Schoen said. Notably, Dart tried to re-enter in the first half. The Giants stopped him. He later returned to the sideline in street clothes.
Running back said the choice was medical, not competitive. “We talked, and we have a long season. So, if he feels like he can go play, then let him go play. If it’s better for him to sit out and take a little rest to be healthy and be ready to go and be himself 100%, then I think that is the right decision.
“So the doctors looked at him and said, ‘Hey, you should probably sit out there,’ and that was the decision they made. He obviously probably wasn’t OK with it. He came out [to the sideline], gave us some energy and did what he had to do.”
Jameis Winston finished 11-of-27 for 111 yards and an interception. The offense that beat Dallas a week earlier never recovered. “Obviously, it sucks losing your starter because everything you do revolves around the guy that is going to play the game,” Skattebo said. “We have full trust in Jameis when he came in the game. We just couldn’t execute.”
Malik Nabers, back one week after a torn , left in the second quarter with a right shoulder injury after a collision with Rams corner Trent McDuffie. He popped the shoulder back in and returned, finishing with one catch for 1 yard on four targets.
Left tackle Andrew Thomas exited in the fourth with a groin injury and did not return. Outside linebacker Brian Burns suffered a low ankle sprain late, left in a boot and rode a cart to the buses.
The Giants (1-1) host the 0-2 Tennessee Titans on Sunday. Winston is the likely starter until the MRI puts a timeline on Dart.
