Coach expands on concerns about Giants' Jaxson Dart

The New York Giants are seemingly thrilled with the energy that John Harbaugh has brought the organization since becoming the Giants' new head coach this past winter. 

That said, an August story revealed that "several executives and scouts around the league" are not yet convinced that second-year Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart is "a sure thing." 

While such takes likely have something to do with concerns related to Dart's health, Dan Duggan of The Athletic recently spoke with "an offensive assistant who was a candidate for a role on the Giants’ staff this offseason" about how the 23-year-old needs to improve as an overall quarterback and passer under Harbaugh and first-year Giants offensive coordinator Matt Nagy.

Why Jaxson Dart needed to work on his footwork during the offseason

"When I went back and watched him play last year, it doesn’t always seem like the rhythm and timing of his feet is real intentional based off the routes or concepts they’re running," the assistant said about Dart. "It looked like it was just like, 'I’m going to drop back and find somebody open; I’ll just run around and (hope)…somebody will be open.'"

Certain stats show how Dart's previous footwork impacted his play as a rookie. According to Pro Football Reference, he ended the 2025 regular season ranked 19th in the NFL among qualified players with a 57.5 adjusted QBR, 18th with a 91.7 passer rating and 21st with a 63.7% completion percentage. 

Of course, the numbers often mentioned about Dart have to do with the fact that he missed two games last November while in the concussion protocol and has been checked for a concussion on six different occasions since August 2025. A previous story noted how Nagy and quarterbacks coach Brian Callahan "queued up clips to remind Dart that visits to the blue tent — in the preseason, in his first start and repeatedly through the season — compromise his availability." 

Duggan shared more information about those study sessions. 

Jaxson Dart, Giants have "an understanding" about his playing style

"One of Dart’s first meetings with Callahan featured the coach pulling up clips from last season and asking the quarterback to assess the risk involved with each collision," Duggan added. "Dart quietly improved at avoiding unnecessary hits after returning late last season from a two-game absence due to a concussion. And there are signs he’s heeding the message from the new staff, as he slid during a training camp practice, which drew cheers from teammates. There’s an understanding that Dart will likely still lower his shoulder on third down at the goal line, but the expectation is that he’ll be more prudent in his second season."

Dart proved last season that he can earn wins over division foes, beating the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys, as long as he isn't yanked from a game following a concussion check. His next opportunity to notch such a victory will come when the Giants host the Cowboys for a Week 1 "Sunday Night Football."