Jaxson Dart's Last Extended Play of Preseason Will Set Stage for Promising Future

East Rutherford, N.J. - It’s been quite a while since there was this much buzz surrounding a New York Giants quarterback, and yet here we are with rookie Jaxson Dart, the team’s first-round draft pick, who is being groomed to become the franchise’s starter for the next decade plus.

But as the Giants wrap up their 2025 preseason against the New England Patriots, Dart’s ascension into the full-time starting role is going to have to wait, not because he hasn’t made progress since setting foot in East Rutherford as a member of the team, but because of the circumstances. 

“I think Jaxson’s been good with the opportunities he’s had in terms of the run game, the pass game, obviously having some production downfield,” said assistant head coach/offensive coordinator Mike Kafka. 

“I think he’s just really starting to put together some of the stuff on the offense in terms of just the plays, understanding what we’re trying to do on offense, and just really – 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 alongside 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.”

There is a better than good chance that Dart will get the starting nod tonight when the Giants host the New England Patriots. There is also a good chance that he could see a series or two with some members of the starting offensive line, a group that he hasn’t worked a whole lot with this spring and summer.

Giving Dart a look with the starting offensive line would be a logical next step in his development, as the more he gets to see live snaps with the guys he’ll eventually be directing the cadence for, the better if there comes a point later this season in which Dart’s number is suddenly called to lead the offense. 

Otherwise, once the play clock expires, it’s off to the bench for Dart, whom the Giant s intend to keep on the bench until the circumstances are just right for the rookie to make his official regular-season NFL debut.

Of course, some would rather the Giants just rip off the bandage and put Dart in there, perhaps even as early as Week 1 against the Commanders, who last year put their first-round rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels in there right away.

Those who are calling for the Giants to do the same need to understand that the Giants’ situation is much different from that of the Commanders. 

Last year, the Commanders had everything brand new–ownership, the coaching staff, and the quarterback. There was a built-in grace period to allow for Daniels to cut his teeth at the NFL level, and he certainly went on to exceed expectations in leading the Commanders to the NFC Championship game.

The Giants are in a bit of a different boat. First, this is Year 4 of the Joe Schoen-Brian Daboll era. After two extremely lackluste r showings, the Giants team needs to show progress, and it’s felt that veteran Russell Wilson, already named the starter by Daboll, and backup Jameis Winston gives them the best chance to show that progress, something that’s been on display at times this preseason.

And although neither Daboll or Schoen were here when Daniel Jones was a rookie, there is the precautionary tale of not wanting to rush a young quarterback out there before he’s ready, something that the two men had to do in Buffalo with Josh Allen for the simple reason that the quarterback situation around Allen wasn’t quite as stable as the current situation around Dart.

Dart, of course, wouldn’t be the first nor last quarterback to redshirt in his rookie season. The Packers did it with Jordan Love, and the Chiefs, of which Kafka was once an assistant coach, did so with Patrick Mahomes.  

“Every quarterback is different,” Kafka said when asked what the benefit was to redshirting a young quarterback. “I don't think there's a right or wro ng way. I think you've got to understand the guy. I think you've got to understand where your team is at. I think you've got to understand how fast a learner he is, or where he's at in his kind of profile of the player, and where the offense is, and what you can do with the offense. So, I don't think there's a right or wrong way.”

The Giants’ multi-step plan with Dart, if not obvious by now, is to give him opportunities that will allow him to grow and learn from mistakes, opportunities that, once the games start counting for real, the team will not be in a position to afford to have.

“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,” Kafka said.

“I think in preparing those guys as much as you can, whether it's a quarterback or any rookie young player, as long as you kind of have a plan and you allow them to kind of see it and make mistakes and go through those learning phases, I think that's where you kind of see the best player show up.”

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