John Harbaugh compares Jaxson Dart to legendary NFL quarterbacks

During a recent chat with TMZ Sports, New York Giants right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor explained how second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart has taken "that next step into that leadership role" following Dart's rookie NFL season.

During an appearance on the latest edition of the "Bleav in Giants" podcast, first-year Giants head coach John Harbaugh made it clear he also is excited by what he has seen from Dart since accepting the Giants gig this past winter. 

John Harbaugh: Jaxson Dart is "obsessed" to be great

"I do think he's obsessed," Harbaugh said about Dart, according to Timothy Rapp of Bleacher Report. "I believe that he really, really wants to be good. He's kinda got the 'it factor' from a leadership standpoint, because he's respected by the guys. I mean, they just know how hard he works, how much he cares. And they respect his talent, of course. He's got a little juice. He's got some charisma."

Dart and then-rookie running back Cam Skattebo routinely displayed the charisma mentioned by Harbaugh last fall before Skattebo suffered a gruesome dislocation of his right ankle on Oct. 26, 2025. Some are concerned that Skattebo won't be able to remain healthy through an entire season, and Dart likely will have to alter his playing style after he was forced out of games on five occasions to get checked for a concussion during his rookie campaign. 

Dart missed two November games while he was in the concussion protocol. 

John Harbaugh sees a little Tom Brady, Peyton Manning in Jaxson Dart

"For him to be this young, have that kind of mindset, I don’t know if it surprises me," Harbaugh added, per Sarthak Sharma of College Football Network. "The guys that have a chance to be great, I feel like the [Tom Bradys] of the world, the [Peyton Mannings] of the world, they were always like that. I kind of see that in Jaxson Dart." 

Manning may be the greatest regular-season quarterback in history, and Brady is a seven-time Super Bowl champion who is widely seen as the GOAT. If Dart is able to follow in their footsteps and also remain available for the Giants, he and Harbaugh could lead the franchise to more than just a playoff berth sooner rather than later.