Giants QB Jaxson Dart is expected to have season-ending knee surgery, AP source says

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart is expected to have season-ending surgery on his left knee, according to a person with knowledge of the details of the injury.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the team had not announced Dart's status.

Dart was injured on the first drive Monday night against the Los Angeles Rams when his left leg bent awkwardly as he was hit by two defenders. After initially saying it was in the neighborhood of a medial collateral ligament injury, coach John Harbaugh said Tuesday the evaluation process for Dart was still ongoing.

An MRI revealed medial collateral ligament, posterior cruciate ligament and meniscus damage, according to a report by NFL Network. Harbaugh is scheduled to address reporters after practice later Wednesday, his 64th birthday.

Losing the 23-year-old face of the franchise to a long-term injury would be a significant blow in Harbaugh's first season in charge, which began with a victory against Dallas at home in Week 1. Jameis Winston takes over the starting role beginning Sunday against Tennessee.

The Giants' next five opponents have a combined 2-8 record. Winston is 3-9 in 12 NFL starts since 2024.

Winston and Jake Haener, who is on the practice squad, were the only QBs at practice during the portion open to reporters. Haener, who played in eight games and started one for New Orleans two seasons ago, joined midway through training camp and stuck around over journeyman Brandon Allen.

Edge rusher Brian Burns, who sprained his left ankle late in the Rams game, was not on the field. No. 1 receiver Malik Nabers, who popped his shoulder back into place and returned Monday night, and starting left tackle Andrew Thomas, who limped off with a groin injury, were participating in the unpadded session.

AP Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi in Tampa, Florida, contributed to this report.

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New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (6) steps to the line of scrimmage during the first half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams in Inglewood, Calif., Monday, Sept. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Katie Chin)

New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart, center, watches from the sideline during the second half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams in Inglewood, Calif., Monday, Sept. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Caroline Brehman)

New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (6) is helped up after getting injured during an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams in Inglewood, Calif., Monday, Sept. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (6) throws under pressure from Los Angeles Rams linebacker Byron Young during the first half of an NFL football game in Inglewood, Calif., Monday, Sept. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Katie Chin)

New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (6) walks off the field with an injury during the first half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams in Inglewood, Calif., Monday, Sept. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Caroline Brehman)

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Police in Mississippi have arrested a second man in the death of a Black woman found hanging from a tree and have issued an arrest warrant for a third suspect.

Jackson police said late Tuesday that they arrested 25-year-old Earnest Lloyd Jr. in the death of 29-year-old Tasia Fortune, whose body was found hanging behind an abandoned home in the city on Aug. 3.

Like Fortune and the first man arrested, 51-year-old Jarques Ratliff, Lloyd is Black. He appeared at a brief hearing Wednesday, where he was denied bond.

According to local TV station WLBT, investigators said witnesses directed them to Lloyd, who had allegedly had a physical altercation with Fortune days or minutes before she was killed. Police contend that Lloyd hanged Fortune with a black cable cord, and three co-defendants are also suspected of being involved in her death, the station reported.

Police and the court clerk said Wednesday that they didn't know if Lloyd has a lawyer.

Fortune's mother Christy Spivey, who attended the hearing, said afterward that she was ecstatic to see arrests made in her daughter’s death. She said neither she nor several of her daughter's friends knew Lloyd, and she cautioned that everyone is innocent until proven guilty.

“My family is not the only family that this is affecting,” Spivey said of the defendants' families. “I feel for them as well. The only difference is that mine can never come back.”

"I’ll never truly have peace,” she said.

Ratliff was arrested in September on murder charges. He pleaded not guilty and remains jailed without bond. His lawyer, Toney Baldwin, hasn't responded to multiple requests for comment.

Police said in a statement that they issued an arrest warrant for a third suspect, but gave no details about that person’s identity or alleged link to Fortune's death. They also said they expect to issue additional warrants.

After Ratliff's arrest, Jackson's police chief, RaShall Brackney, said Ratliff had an “association” with Fortune, but she didn't elaborate.

Although police haven't suggested a possible motive for the killing or said whether they think race played a role, the case has attracted widespread attention because the manner of death recalled lynchings in the Southern state.

A Kentucky native, Fortune had four children and had been living in Jackson for about a decade, relatives said.

Spivey previously said her daughter struggled with homelessness in recent years, and that she wasn’t sure where her daughter was living at the time of her death. She said that before her death, her daughter had talked about starting a cleaning business and was trying to get her life in order.

Christy Spivey hold baby pictures of her late daughter, Tasia Fortune, on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, in Marion, Ky. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Christy Spivey poses with a portrait of her late daughter, Tasia Fortune, on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, in Marion, Ky. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Christy Spivey poses with a portrait of her late daughter, Tasia Fortune, on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026, in Marion, Ky. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)