Jaxson Dart and the New York Giants will look to snap a nine-game skid in Week 17 as they head west to face Geno Smith and the Las Vegas Raiders. Coming off a Week 16 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, the Giants sit at 2-13 entering the matchup, with the loser taking full ownership of the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Still, even if the Giants finish with the league’s worst record, Dart has shown he could be New York’s quarterback of the future. Through 12 games played, the rookie out of Ole Miss has completed 172-of-277 passes for 1,835 yards, 13 touchdowns and five interceptions, while adding 407 rushing yards and seven scores. However, Dart will have to finish the season without some key pieces up front.
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New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (6)Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images
Against the Vikings, New York’s All-Pro left tackle, Andrew Thomas, suffered a hamstring injury that forced him to miss the remainder of the game. And in the second half of the same game, starting center John Michael Schmitz was also forced to exit with a finger injury and did not return.
Thomas was unable to practice throughout the week leading up to the matchup with the Raiders, while Schmitz did not participate in Wednesday’s or Thursday’s sessions before being upgraded to a limited participant on Friday.
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Still, New York was forced to rule both starting offensive linemen out for Week 17 before placing them on injured reserve, leaving Dart without two of his protectors for the final stretch of the season. Joining Thomas and Schmitz on the injured reserve are Giants safety Tyler Nubin (neck) and defensive tackle D.J. Davidson (neck/concussion).
“Giants placed OT Andrew Thomas, S Tyler Nubin, DT D.J. Davidson and C John Michael Schmitz on injured reserve,” ESPN’s Jordan Raanan wrote on X.
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Dart and the Giants will face the Raiders on Sunday at 4:05 p.m. ET.
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Dec 27, 2025, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.