Ethical Sports Takes

Unfortunately, the New York Giants’ 2026 season may have effectively ended on Monday night.

Jaxson Dart suffered a devastating knee injury on the Giants’ opening drive against the Los Angeles Rams. Further testing revealed damage to his MCL, PCL and meniscus, and Dart will undergo surgery that will keep him out for the remainder of the regular season. Thankfully, his ACL is intact, and the most important thing now is making sure the young quarterback gets healthy for 2027.

The Giants still have 15 games to play, and John Harbaugh has made it clear that Jameis Winston will be the starting quarterback for now. New York could still look outside the organization for another quarterback, whether through a trade or another addition, but regardless of what they decide, my attention has already shifted toward next season.

Because the Giants finally appear to have something worth building.

John Harbaugh Was Brought Here for This

There was a reason the Giants brought in a bona fide, established head coach like John Harbaugh. This organization needed stability, leadership and, most importantly, somebody capable of establishing a winning culture after years of instability.

We saw an early glimpse of that in Week 1. The Giants opened the Harbaugh era by beating the Dallas Cowboys, and Dart became the first quarterback in NFL history to begin a season with at least three passing touchdowns, 50 rushing yards and a passer rating of 130. For one night, the Giants looked like a completely different football team.

That is what makes Dart’s injury so unfortunate. This season was supposed to be about seeing how far Harbaugh and Dart could take the beginning of this rebuild together. Instead, the focus now has to be making sure that foundation is ready for 2027.

Harbaugh has been around football far too long to allow one injury to destroy what New York is trying to build. The remaining games can still be used to establish his system, evaluate the roster and determine exactly which players should be part of the Giants’ future.

What Should They Do at Quarterback?

For now, I would give Jameis Winston the opportunity to run the offense. The Giants aren’t searching for their quarterback of the future. They already have him. That’s Jaxson Dart.

Making a desperate trade and giving away meaningful draft capital for another quarterback doesn’t make much sense to me when that player would most likely become Dart’s backup as soon as he returns. If New York can add another quarterback for depth without sacrificing anything significant, that’s different.

Otherwise, let Winston play. See what he can do in an offense designed around his strengths, and use the rest of the season to evaluate everybody else around him. The Giants’ biggest decisions aren’t really about 2026 anymore. They’re about what this roster looks like when Dart comes back.

The Giants Could Be in a Fascinating Draft Position

There is obviously a lot of football left, and nobody knows exactly where the Giants will eventually select in the 2027 NFL Draft. But without Dart for the remainder of the regular season, there is a very realistic possibility New York ends up holding a high draft pick.

That could put the Giants in an incredibly interesting position. Most teams picking near the very top of the draft are searching for one thing above everything else: a quarterback.

The Giants shouldn’t be.

If they remain committed to Dart — and I absolutely believe they should — New York could simply look at the best player available.

And if Jeremiah Smith is sitting there?

Run the card in.

Imagine Jeremiah Smith in New York

Jeremiah Smith has been one of the most dominant wide receivers college football has seen in years. As a freshman at Ohio State in 2024, Smith immediately established himself as a superstar. He followed that with another 1,000-yard season in 2025, giving him 2,558 receiving yards and 27 receiving touchdowns through his first two collegiate seasons. Those were the most receiving yards and receiving touchdowns by any Big Ten receiver over his first two seasons.

And he hasn’t slowed down in 2026. Smith has already become Ohio State’s all-time leader in career receiving yards, breaking a record that had stood at 2,898 yards. He is also closing in on Chris Olave’s school record of 35 receiving touchdowns and Emeka Egbuka’s record of 205 receptions.

When you’re breaking receiving records at Ohio State, that means something, because if there is one university that has earned the right to call itself Wide Receiver University, Ohio State has one hell of an argument.

Cris Carter. Terry McLaurin. Michael Thomas. Garrett Wilson. Chris Olave. Marvin Harrison Jr. Emeka Egbuka. Carnell Tate. And, of course, Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

Ohio State has produced more first-round wide receivers than any school in NFL Draft history. More recently, the Buckeyes produced at least one first-round receiver in five consecutive drafts from 2022 through 2026.

Their 2021 receiver room alone was absurd. Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Jameson Williams, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka were all in that room. Every single one eventually became a first-round NFL Draft pick.

Then look at what some of those receivers have become in the NFL. JSN has developed into one of the premier receivers in football, winning Offensive Player of the Year after a monster 119-catch, 1,793-yard, 10-touchdown season and helping Seattle win the Super Bowl. Olave became a second-team All-Pro after producing 100 receptions for 1,163 yards and nine touchdowns. Garrett Wilson has established himself as a legitimate No. 1 receiver, McLaurin has been producing at a high level for years, Egbuka immediately became Tampa Bay’s leading receiver as a rookie, and Marvin Harrison Jr. still possesses the talent that made him the fourth overall selection in the 2024 draft.

Ohio State doesn’t just recruit great receivers. It has developed an assembly line of them, and Smith might be the most talented prospect of the entire group.

At 6-foot-4 and over 220 pounds, Smith combines elite size with speed, athleticism, body control and ridiculous ball skills. Add his production at one of the greatest wide receiver factories in college football history, and this isn’t simply another talented college receiver. Smith has everything you would want from a potential franchise-changing NFL weapon.

Now imagine him in New York.

Malik Nabers. Jeremiah Smith. Isaiah Likely. Jaxson Dart throwing them the football.

That could become one of the most exciting young offensive cores in the NFL. Defenses would already have to account for Nabers, who can take over games as a true No. 1 receiver. Adding another potentially elite weapon on the opposite side would make it extremely difficult to consistently dedicate additional coverage toward him. Then you add Likely attacking the middle of the field from tight end.

Suddenly Dart wouldn’t just be returning in 2027. He could be returning to one of the most talented young groups of pass catchers in football.

What About the Offensive Line?

The offensive line has been one of the Giants’ biggest problems for years, so continuing to invest in it should absolutely remain a priority. But something important happened in 2025: the line actually improved.

After years of disastrous offensive line play, New York finished the 2025 season ranked ninth in Pro Football Focus’ final offensive line rankings. Even more impressively, the Giants ranked fourth in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency after finishing 30th in that category the year before.

That doesn’t mean the job is finished. Protecting Dart should be one of the organization’s highest priorities for the foreseeable future, especially now that their franchise quarterback is recovering from a significant knee injury. But it does mean the Giants don’t necessarily have to pass on an elite prospect like Smith simply because they need offensive line help.

Continue adding depth and competition through the later rounds, free agency and player development. You can improve an offensive line without using your highest draft pick on it.

The Defense Still Needs Help

This is where I think the Giants have more work to do. New York allowed 25.8 points per game in 2025, which ranked 26th in the NFL. There were still positives, including 48 sacks, showing that there are pieces capable of creating pressure, but the overall defensive results weren’t good enough.

That is another area where New York can attack the middle rounds of the draft and free agency. Add defensive backs, linebackers and depth along the defensive line while continuing to build around the young talent already on the roster.

Not every hole has to be solved with one premium draft pick.

Don’t Let One Injury Change the Plan

This is probably the biggest thing for me. The Giants cannot allow what happened to Dart to make them panic.

It was devastating. Their young quarterback looked ready to take another step, Harbaugh had just won his first game in New York, and there was genuine excitement around this team again. Then, seven offensive plays into Week 2, everything changed.

But the long-term plan shouldn’t.

Dart is still the quarterback I would build around. Harbaugh is still the coach I would trust to establish the culture. Nabers is still a foundational offensive weapon, and Likely gives them another dangerous piece in the passing game.

If a difficult 2026 season puts the Giants in position to add someone like Jeremiah Smith to that group, there could eventually be a massive silver lining to what currently feels like a lost season.

Build for 2027

The Giants still have football to play. Jameis Winston deserves the opportunity to compete, and Harbaugh isn’t going to treat the remaining schedule like 15 meaningless games. Nor should he. Every game gives this coaching staff more information about who belongs on the next Giants team.

But organizationally, everything should now be viewed through the lens of 2027.

Get Dart healthy. Continue establishing Harbaugh’s culture. Don’t sacrifice valuable future assets chasing a temporary quarterback solution. Evaluate the roster. Strengthen the offensive line. Add defensive talent.

And if the Giants end up near the top of the draft with Jeremiah Smith available, don’t overthink it.

Take the superstar.

Because sending a healthy Jaxson Dart back onto the field with Malik Nabers, Jeremiah Smith and Isaiah Likely could transform this offense.

Monday night may have ended the season everyone hoped the Giants would have in 2026, but it doesn’t have to derail what they are building. If New York handles the next several months correctly, this setback could simply become the painful bridge between the beginning of the Harbaugh era and a much more dangerous Giants team in 2027.

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