The ‘Patrick Mahomes Effect’: Why the Chiefs' superstar is being blamed for Jaxson Dart's brutal injury

Jaxson Dart ’s promising 2026 NFL campaign is suddenly in doubt after the New York Giants quarterback suffered a serious knee injury against the Los Angeles Rams – and Patrick Mahomes is getting the blame. The 23-year-old was injured on New York ’s seventh offensive snap after drifting away from the pocket as pressure closed in from the Rams ’ defense, where he was hit by linebacker Byron Young .

At the same time, Josaiah Stewart arrived from the opposite side and undercut the quarterback’s legs and Dart immediately grabbed his left knee before entering the blue medical tent. He later limped toward the locker room and did not return. Whilst the injury has also sparked criticism of Dart ’s movement inside the pocket, the former NFL scout Daniel Kelly has linked the quarterback’s habits to the influence of the Kansas City Chiefs ’ Mahomes . This is what I call 'The Patrick Mahomes Effect,’” Kelly said via X.com, formerly Twitter. “Mahomes has pretty much ruined traditional quarterbacking due to his ability to not have to rely on his footwork for accuracy. “And it's given the Chiefs a competitive advantage because quarterbacks try to copy his style of play. As a result, his influence has all but made the traditional 3-5-7 step pocket dropbacks that quarterbacks have depended on for decades to throw timing routes obsolete. “This is what we have now instead. Quarterbacks just hold onto the ball and run around and do their own thing for better or worse.”

Giants cryptic over Dart’s future

Dart had given the Giants plenty of reason for optimism after showing flashes as a rookie before opening this season in spectacular fashion against their NFC East rivals, the Dallas Cowboys . He completed 23 of 29 passes for 230 yards and three touchdowns in a 28-20 victory, while adding 54 rushing yards as New York ’s offense immediately found another dimension. Now, however, Dart could be facing a lengthy absence after further tests reportedly revealed that his knee injury was more serious than initially expected according to NFL Network ’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo . The duo reported that Dart is expected to miss an extended period and could require season-ending surgery, but the Giants coach John Harbaugh offered little clarity after the 28-6 defeat. "I'm not commenting on all the different reports," Harbaugh said. "In due time, at the proper time, everybody's gonna know what the outcome is. "When we know what direction we're going to have to go or whatever it might be, we'll announce that but we don't have that yet. "So I don't want to get out over our skis on that. I can't really respond to every report that people make. We've got to kind of work on our own timeline here." Jameis Winston struggled after replacing Dart , completing just 11 of 27 passes for 111 yards and an interception in a night that quickly turned into a major concern for New York . Winston now appears positioned to carry the offense if Dart is sidelined, having signed a two-year, $13 million contract extension earlier this month but the Giants also have Jake Haener available on the practice squad.