Giants’ John Harbaugh Dealt Bad News on 64th Birthday

Rich Storry-Imagn Images

Giants’ John Harbaugh Dealt Bad News on 64th Birthday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Ayomide Adeduyite | Last updated Sep 23, 2026 12:52 PM ET

John Harbaugh turns 64 on Wednesday, just days into his first season as head coach of the New York Giants. His tenure began with a 28-20 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1, giving New York an encouraging start under its new coach.

The Giants then suffered a completely different result Monday night, losing 28-6 to the Los Angeles Rams. Harbaugh and his team now have five days to regroup before hosting the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, with New York trying to move back above .500.

Unfortunately for Harbaugh, his 64th birthday also brought devastating news from the field. Jaxson Dart is expected to undergo season-ending surgery on his left knee, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Dart suffered damage to his MCL, PCL and meniscus, while his ACL remains intact.

Jaxson Dart suffered damage to his MCL, PCL and meniscus, per sources. The meniscus is the main issue. https://t.co/sw8drD32w2
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 23, 2026

Dart initially was believed to have suffered an MCL sprain and potentially missed only a few weeks. Harbaugh said after Monday’s loss that the injury appeared to be “in the neighborhood” of an MCL sprain, but further testing revealed a much more serious problem.

It is a nightmare start to Harbaugh’s first season with the Giants. New York entered the year hoping Dart could develop into its long-term answer at quarterback after winning the starting job, and he helped deliver the Week 1 win before leaving Monday’s game on the opening drive.

New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh.Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Jameis Winston will now take over at quarterback. He completed 11 of 27 passes for 111 yards and one interception against the Rams. The Giants also have Jake Haener on the practice squad and could explore other options.

Harbaugh said Tuesday the team must prepare for the Titans while the franchise works through the quarterback situation. New York is 1-1 and will host Tennessee at 1 p.m. ET Sunday.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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