The New York Giants are (Jaxson) Dart-broken.
The promising young quarterback reportedly underwent surgery on his meniscus Friday, just two days after head coach John Harbaugh said he would be done for the regular season. Famed agent Leigh Steinberg said he would advise the 23-year-old quarterback to look at the big picture.
“I think the key is to look at the long-term interests of Jaxson Dart, which are the same as the long-term interests of the Giants, and get the best medical advice, get the best operation. Put all your energy and effort into rehabbing because the truth is Jaxson Dart will have a long and illustrious career,” Steinberg told OutKick in a recent interview.
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Dart was injured when he was hit by two defenders, one low and one high, with one of the Los Angeles Rams edge rushers hitting the young quarterback in the knee at an awkward angle. While the crushing injury was a devastating blow in the Giants’ 28-6 Week 2 loss to the Rams on Monday, it also cast a pall over their entire season.
Dart’s days will go from being on the field to instead rehabbing with the trainers every day. Steinberg said athletes have a remarkable ability to recover and bounce back and is confident Dart will return to form.
Steinberg noted that Dart was not the only quarterback to sustain an injury in the first two weeks of the season. Sam Darnold, Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Kyler Murray have all dealt with injuries, and the legendary agent wondered if that has anything to do with offseason training.
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“Does the fact that there’s no offseason hitting and very little playing in training camp for starters make them more susceptible to being in shape, but not yet in football shape? Meaning having taken the number of hits, it makes them more susceptible to injuries,” Steinberg said.
Regardless of why quarterbacks get hurt, Steinberg stressed the importance of having quality backups going into the season because it is hard to make a move during the season.
“Because of the cap, other than picking someone off of a practice squad, there’s no availability of quality quarterbacks just sitting at home watching television,” Steinberg said.
The Giants hope Jameis Winston can be a strong replacement, as he is set to start for the rest of the season. Winston struggled on Monday night, but he almost always plays an entertaining style of football with his daring approach.
The Giants hope Winston can avoid the interceptions that have plagued him throughout his career and keep them in the playoff hunt for the remainder of the season.
Steinberg, who was inducted into the California Sports Hall of Fame in 2017, has had many high-profile clients throughout his impressive career. Across football and baseball, Steinberg’s clients include Steve Bartkowski, Steve Young, Troy Aikman, Warren Moon, Bruce Smith, Thurman Thomas, Kordell Stewart, Jeff George, Ben Roethlisberger, Myron Rolle, Matt Leinart, Mark Brunell, Ricky Williams, Howie Long, Eric Karros and Dusty Baker, among others.