New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart remains in concussion protocol and will miss his second straight game against the Detroit Lions in Week 12. Veteran Jameis Winston is set to make his second consecutive start for the Giants.
Interim head coach Mike Kafka announced Friday that Jaxson Dart has not cleared concussion protocol and is ruled out for Sunday's road game against the Detroit Lions. Dart, a 2025 first-round pick who took over as starter in Week 4, suffered the concussion during a 24-20 loss to the Chicago Bears in Week 10. He returned to limited practice on Wednesday and Thursday but showed insufficient progression through the protocol.
This marks Dart's second absence in a row, following his benching of Russell Wilson in favor of Jameis Winston for Week 11. In his first start of the season against the Green Bay Packers, Winston completed 19 of 29 passes for 201 yards and one interception in a narrow loss. The 31-year-old, a former No. 1 overall pick and Heisman winner from Florida State, joined the Giants in the offseason after starting seven games for the Cleveland Browns last season, where he passed for over 2,000 yards.
Prior to the injury, Dart had a strong rookie campaign, throwing for 1,417 yards, 10 touchdowns, and three interceptions in seven starts. He added 317 rushing yards and seven touchdowns, leading all rookies in rushing scores, though his aggressive running style has led to multiple hard hits, including a prior concussion evaluation in Week 6 against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Giants were fined $200,000 for an incident involving former coach Brian Daboll and running back Cam Skattebo entering the medical tent during that evaluation. Kafka, promoted to interim coach on Nov. 10 after Daboll's firing, has overseen much of Dart's production since joining the staff in 2022.
Dart has been advised by team insiders to protect himself better while scrambling. Giants fans view him as a long-term solution at quarterback after years of uncertainty.