Quarterback injuries have been the unfortunate story of the 2026 NFL season thus far. The loss of six starters from training camp through Week 2 overshadows on-field play for nearly one quarter of the league. Fortunately, many of the injuries are short-term issues with only a slight risk of derailing the campaign, but in a couple of cases, there is little reason for optimism.
The New York Giants might be in the worst position of any of the six teams that lost their starters. Jaxson Dart sustained a knee injury on "Monday Night Football" that, upon further testing, is more severe than the team initially feared. If any of the NFL's injured signal-callers are to miss the rest of the year, Dart is the most likely candidate.
If it is indeed a season-ender for Dart, the Giants' 2026 goals shift dramatically. For other teams, like the Seattle Seahawks, expectations remain largely unchanged even in the face of injury. Here are reasonable expectations for all six teams with injured quarterbacks.
New expectations: Vie for another early draft pick There is no sugar coating the Giants' outlook without Dart. What had all the makings of a (finally) exciting year is already down the tubes. The offense looked hapless with Jameis Winston on in relief against the Los Angeles Rams, and while the veteran has had decent stretches in the past, his diminished arm strength, persistent turnover problems and the immense downgrade in mobility he brings compared to Dart puts a firm ceiling on the Giants.
Winston will potentially man the offense for the remainder of the year after Dart's MRI revealed a worse injury than expected. In five games without Dart since his arrival as a first-round pick, the Giants are 0-5. That history suggests that so long as Winston is the man under center, New York will stand among the worst teams in the NFL.
The silver lining is that the Giants should be able to add more premium young talent to their enticing core in the 2027 draft, but this was supposed to be a season in which that group elevated them out of the early draft pick range and into playoff contention. Injured players: Caleb Williams (hamstring), Tyson Bagent (concussion) New expectations: Fall into early-season hole, climb out when Williams returns The hamstring issue that knocked Williams out of the Week 2 loss to the Minnesota Vikings initially looked like it would result in a long-term absence. Instead, the rising star is week-to-week and could even return as soon as Monday's battle with the Philadelphia Eagles.
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