Why Jaxson Dart doesn't want to be next Eli Manning for Giants

Even before the New York Giants made Jaxson Dart the 25th overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft, reporters mentioned how Dart could follow in the footsteps of Eli Manning as an Ole Miss quarterback tasked with guiding the Giants to glory. 

During a recent chat with Ian O'Connor of The Athletic, Dart admitted that "it would be a privilege to" lead the Giants to a pair of Super Bowl championships as Manning did during his career. However, Dart also suggested he wants to leapfrog Manning on the list of the greatest quarterbacks in franchise history. 

"But if somebody asked me that question, I’m going to tell them I’m going to bet on myself," Dart said when asked if he would "sign up for Eli’s two championship rings" during the rookie's first pro training camp. "And I see a bright future here of us winning a lot of games and us playing at the highest level. I’m going to bet on myself with that answer."

Giants head coach Brian Daboll confirmed on Wednesday that veteran Russell Wilson is the club's undisputed starting quarterback ahead of the upcoming season, and Wilson seemingly has embraced mentoring Dart as the 22-year-old learns about life in the NFL. That said, Dart already sounds ready to handle the pressure that comes with being a QB1 for a team that calls the country's largest media market home.

"I just think (New York) is a really unique place, and you never want to think that you’re bigger than anybody else, and you want to be able to rally a community," Dart told O'Connor. "You saw it with the Knicks this year and what they did in the playoffs, and you got to see the support and the fans in the streets. That’s what I want to be a part of. I want to celebrate with the city and New Jersey as well. If you want to be the best, you have to be elite at the (quarterback) position. People are just looking for answers, and they’re looking for some hope, and that’s what I feel like I can be here."

The Giants defeated the New England Patriots to win Super Bowl XLVI in February 2012, but Big Blue has since notched only one postseason win (in January 2023). As of Thursday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook gave the 2025 Giants the third-worst odds to make the playoffs (+650). Such forecasts indicate the Giants' season may become all about letting Dart take his lumps as a rookie starter at some point during the fall.

He seems eager to improve as quickly as possible. 

"People here want to win more than anything," Dart added about Giants fans. "It’s different here, and when that (quarterback) piece was missing, obviously the most important piece of the team, you have to fill that role."