Jaxson Dart is out for the rest of the 2026 season after the New York Giants quarterback will undergo season-ending surgery. In such a case, head coach John Harbaugh and the Giants are left with a void under center. Of course, they can rely on Jameis Winston, but his struggles against the Los Angeles Rams in Dart’s absence were evident.

That brings us to the next few possibilities the Giants could target. They can certainly sign a veteran quarterback, as the team currently sits at 1-1. At the same time, however, the Giants also have the option to trade for a reliable signal-caller to run their offense. For now, nothing is concrete. However, Emmanuel Acho believes that the Giants should target Mac Jones.

“Giants should trade a 3rd or 4th round pick for Mac Jones… they have too much talent to waste this season,” Acho wrote on X.

There are several options for the Giants to look at, including the likes of Shedeur Sanders, J.J. McCarthy, Sam Howell, and Mason Rudolph, among others. Mac Jones, however, currently stands out according to Acho.

A former first-round draft pick, Jones is struggling to find stability in the league since leaving New England. At the same time, however, he turned heads during the 2025 season when San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy went down.

Jones appeared in 11 games during the 2025 season, started 8, and led the 49ers to a 5-3 record. In the process, he recorded 2151 yards and 13 touchdowns, as the 49ers qualified for the playoffs. Now, he is entering the final year of his two-year, $7 million deal that he signed ahead of the 2025 season.

With Purdy currently running the offense and Jones set to hit free agency next year, the 28-year-old would surely like to find a starting opportunity to strengthen his case for a new deal next offseason. While the Giants could be a destination Jones targets, it currently remains to be seen whether Harbaugh will make a move or rely on Winston instead.

However, it’s safe to say that Jaxson Dart’s injury has left the Giants to deal with a major complication as the Week 3 matchup against the Tennessee Titans approaches.

Dart’s injury occurred on the seventh play from scrimmage, during New York’s opening drive. Dart was attempting a pass on third down when Rams defenders Byron Yong and Josaiah Stewart hit him high and low. His left knee appeared to buckle awkwardly during the collision. Dart immediately grabbed the knee and went to the ground.

He was able to get up and walk toward the sideline under his own power, but he was clearly favoring the leg. While the quarterback was examined in the medical tent before heading to the locker room, he did not return to the game.

Immediately after the injury, reports indicated that the Giants feared Dart had suffered a sprained MCL in his left knee. Coach Harbaugh was careful not to confirm that diagnosis after the game, saying the injury was “in the neighborhood” of an MCL sprain and that Dart would undergo an MRI after the team returned from Los Angeles.

Further testing, however, confirmed that Jaxson Dart had suffered damage to multiple structures in his left knee. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, while his ACL remains intact, the quarterback has damaged his meniscus, MCL, and PCL. Now, he will require surgery and is expected to return during the 2027 season, as a typical MCL sprain requires a six-month recovery window.