Giants Quarterback Shocks Reporters at Press Conference

In the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, the New York Giants ushered in the next era of football in East Rutherford. Edge rusher Abdul Carter and quarterback Jaxson Dart didn’t start this rebuild. But by reaching their potential and redefining the Giants’ culture, they have the opportunity to finish it.

The New York faithful won’t see the fruits of that labor this summer. They might not see it at all in 2025 if Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston ensure Dart has a true redshirt season.

But there will be breadcrumbs – flashes in practice and answers after it.

On Friday, Giants fans and reporters got a glimpse of that when they were shocked by Dart’s classy introduction.

“Definitely a different vibe in personality at QB with Jaxson Dart,” Dan Duggan said. “He started his presser by asking every reporter to introduce themselves before asking a question so he could get to know people. Never had a player do that in my entire career.”

To Daniel Jones’ credit, he rarely said the “wrong” thing in press conferences. Nobody detracted from his character, doubted him as a teammate, or suggested he wasn’t doing everything he could to do the job well. Still, there’s a difference between boilerplate answers meant to avoid scrutiny and the persona Dart brings to the table.

That won’t necessarily make him a better quarterback, but it ensures that the next few seasons will be different, for better or worse. Given how poorly things went down during Jones’ time in East Rutherford, the bar to clear isn’t all that high.

He reflected on his rookie camp with his fellow first-round pick on Friday.

“Yeah, I mean, it's been surreal up to this point, me and Abdul were just talking about it,” Dart said, via team transcript. “And I feel like it kind of just hit us for the first time, being out here, wearing this jersey, it's an amazing privilege. We definitely hold it in high regard. And you just want to continue to get better each and every day. And anytime you get to play football, it's the best, so.”

First impressions matter, and Dart has continued to look the part. He’ll have the benefit of the doubt from the fanbase as he heads into Year 1.