How Jaxson Dart's debut compares to notable Big Blue quarterbacks

Lighter workload than Eli Manning

Manning, whose circuitous route to the Giants included a draft day trade from the then San Diego Chargers, was asked to do much more in his first career start. Manning was the first of 17 quarterbacks drafted in 2004, finally getting his first start of the season in a Week 11 loss to Atlanta. Manning completed 17-of-37 passes for 162 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in the 14-10 loss. This game was also the first of Eli's 210 consecutive regular-season starts. Only Brett Favre and Philip Rivers have longer start streaks for quarterbacks. 

Heavier workload than Phil Simms

On the other side of the coin, Dart was asked to do more than Simms. The seventh overall pick in the 1979 draft helped the Giants knock off Tampa Bay 17-14 in the second game of the season. Big Blue ran all over the Buccaneers (202 team rush yards), so Simms only threw the ball 12 times, completing six of those passes for 37 yards. The rest of Simms' career with the Giants was more eventful, as Big Blue eventually retired his number 11 and put him in their Ring of Honor.

More mobile than Kurt Warner

Hall-of-Famer Kurt Warner's story is the stuff of legends, but his Giants career is probably best known for ushering in the Manning era. Warner's debut was rocky (16-of-28, 203 yards, zero TD/INT, one fumble lost) as Philadelphia won its season opener 31-17. The 33-year-old didn't rush for any yards, and lasted nine games at starter until head coach Tom Coughlin made the fateful change under center.

Less dramatic than Daniel Jones

Daniel Jones' Giants career ended with a whimper, but it started with a bang. Head coach Pat Shurmur benched Manning after two starts, and Jones rewarded his gumption with big numbers in the air (23-of-36, 336 yards, two touchdowns) and on the ground (28 yards, two touchdowns) and a thrilling 32-31 win over Tampa Bay. Jones also lost two fumbles, eventually fumbling a league-leading 19 times as a rookie.

Much less dramatic than Fran Tarkenton

In 1967, the Giants coughed up two first-round picks and two second-round picks for Vikings quarterback Fran Tarkenton, who fell out of favor in Minnesota after head coach (and NFL single-game passing yards leader) Norm Van Brocklin demanded less scrambling from his quarterbacks. Tarkenton's debut included several long plays from scrimmage (7-of-19, 232 yards, three TD) in a 37-20 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. Tarkenton, who made his first of four straight Pro Bowls with the Giants, finished the season with a career-best 29 touchdowns.

Similar circumstances to Kerry Collins

Similar to Dart, Collins joined the Giants knowing he likely wouldn't be the immediate starter. In 1999, Collins signed a four-year deal with Big Blue to back up incumbent starter Kent Graham. Collins got the start in Week 5 against Arizona, and while his debut was decent (24-of-38, 202 yards, one interception) it wasn't enough for a win. Collins eventually helped the Giants make the Super Bowl a year later and became one of the most well-known quarterbacks in franchise history.