Week 2 of the 2026 NFL season saw some of the top quarterbacks in the game suffer scary-looking injuries. Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears suffered a non-contact hamstring injury, while Jayden Daniels of the Washington Commanders suffered a dislocated left elbow. The last thing New York Giants fans expected was for Jaxson Dart to leave to injury on Monday night.
On the first offensive drive, Dart took a nasty shot to his left knee after getting sandwiched between two Los Angeles Rams defenders on a leaping pass. Dart limped to the sidelines to get checked out in the medical tent before departing to the locker room to receive x-rays. After initially being ruled questionable, the Giants eventually ruled Dart out for the remainder of the game due to a knee injury.
While Giants general manager Joe Schoen told ESPN reporter Laura Rutledge that Dart was "going to be okay," there's a likelihood that the second-year quarterback misses time. That means they'll have to rely on Jameis Winston to fill in.
Well, Winston gave Giants fans reason to worry after an awful showing in relief on Monday, and played a role in the team's 28-6 loss to the Rams.
Jameis Winston gives Giants fans reason to worry about how much time Jaxson Dart could miss
The Giants brought in Winston last year to give the team a depth option who can play well enough when called upon. This was a team that was burned by the injuries to their starting quarterbacks and having bad backup options.
For Winston, he received his chance on Monday to help lead the Giants to a win over a Rams team that was without Myles Garrett and Puka Nacua. While the Rams got trounced by the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1, they still boasted a great all-around team. As it turns out, the Giants stood no chance against them. Davante Adams torched the Giants secondary and the pass rush was non-existent. But Winston did the team no favors.
Winston struggled against the relentless Rams pressure, forcing him to try and get rid of the football as quickly as possible. But even when Winston had a clean pocket, his passes weren't hitting open receivers, mostly falling short. This is a performance that Giants fans expected from previous backup quarterbacks like Mike Glennon and Jake Fromm. He played so poorly, that the Giants had to call running plays in favor of Winston attempting a pass.
With the game in the books, Winston's final stat line was 111 yards, zero touchdowns, and one interception while completing 11-of-27 pass attempts.
Giants rewarded Jameis Winston with new contract extension before season, and he laid an egg in Week 2
Let's not forget that before the Giants opened up the season against the Dallas Cowboys, they decided to reward Winston. Before Week 1, they signed Winston to a two-year, $13 million contract extension not only in an effort to free up some cap space, but because they trusted him to be the backup they needed in case of emergency.
Yes, the Rams pass rush was impossible to hold back, especially with Aaron Donald making his return. But considering that Winston has played in the NFL for more than a decade, you expected there to be more production from him. Not to mention, better decision making.
After the game, reports indicate that the Giants believe that Dart is dealing with an MCL sprain and could miss some time. That means they will have to rely on Winston for starts in a favorable stretch of games. But after Monday night, there isn't as much confidence as before.
The Giants are paying Winston to help the Giant stay afloat if their starter in Dart is injured. Winston didn't live up to those expectations.
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