Giants OC Mike Kafka lays out the blue print for handling rookie Jaxson Dart in heated QB competition

The most hotly discussed topic surrounding the New York Giants is if and when they'll start rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart.

Head coach Brian Daboll alluded to a set plan for Dart and when they intend to let him play in the regular season. Daboll attempted to lower fans' expectations in a way that made their plan sound rigid.

Today, offensive coordinator Mike Kafka spoke to the media, sharing a few hints and insights into how they're approaching Dart's development.

What is the plan for Jaxson Dart

Kafka was asked a broad philosophical question about the benefits of sitting a rookie quarterback instead of playing him early. The question included Patrick Mahomes, whom Kafka coached in Kansas City. Kafka's response made it seem that there is a lot of flexibility in adjusting the plan based on how a young quarterback responds.

"So, I don't think there's a right or wrong way. I think you just have to have a plan for what you want to do and then just kind of work through it from there and adjust along the way. There's no, like, cookie-cutter way of doing it. Just be flexible with it. Try to work through each of those growth periods."

The current growth period for Dart has exceeded everyone's expectations. I'd find it hard to believe that Kafka and Daboll saw a world where he'd complete over 74% of his passes with no turnovers. Giants fans should hope they take a long look back at where they thought Dart would be after the preseason and aggressively adjust if he finishes strong against the Patriots.

Additionally, Kafka shared context on how they're handling making Dart as comfortable as possible by leaning into the offense he played in at Ole Miss.

"He's learning the NFL game, maybe a little bit more shotgun than he has been under center. That's fine. That's normal. But he's gotten plenty of work under center. He had it all spring and all training camp. And so, it's not that
he can't do it. It's just about how much do you want to do and certain plays may marry up with certain things differently."

The last piece that Kafka mentioned about how Dart stood out is his leadership impact as a rookie. It's difficult for young quarterbacks to rally veterans fighting for starting roles. But it appears that there has been an unrecognized boost from his stepping up.

"He’s done a great job with the leadership part of that and making sure that guys
are in the right spot. He’s working with guys in that second, that third group that may be young players, other rookies along side of him, other veterans that have played a lot of football as well, so he’s doing a great job of kind of leading the group."

Overall, Dart continues to show promise on the field and among his peers off of it. Hopefully, his maturity and recent success can help him earn early playing time rather than at a point of no return.