Why Eli Manning Believes NY Giants Are Setting QB Jaxson Dart Up for Success

Growing Dart organically 

Manning has heard the pleas of analysts, media, and fans who have urged the Giants to bypass Wilson, who is only signed for one season, and turn the page toward the future.

But as was the case during his rookie season, in which he received some opportunities to do mop-up duty in a couple of games before taking over full-time as the starter in Week 10 of the 2004 season, Manning believes a similar plan for Sart would be beneficial.  

“I think the ideal plan is for Russell to play this whole season, for Jackson to get a redshirt year, and to watch,” he said. 

“But you know, if there's opportunities for Jaxson to get in there at different moments and just understand the game plan, what plays he likes, the speed, and how fast you gotta make decisions, that would be beneficial as well.”

Besides grasping the ebb and flow of an actual game and the reactions that come with it, another aspect that Manning believes Dart must do is fully earn the right to lead his teammates.

Thus far, Dart has managed to earn the respect of his teammates for how he goes about his business, but Manning believes there is a lot more still to come.

“I think it's always super important for any young player, but especially at the quarterback position as you come in, to try to earn the respect of your teammates,” he said. 

“That comes through your hard work, your practice habits, your film study, showing that you're tough, and you can handle everything. You’ve gotta know the offense so well that when you tell them, ‘Hey, you gotta do this a little bit better,’ they know you're right.

“I think you have to earn that respect before you can be that leader,” Manning said. “You can see Jaxson going out there and doing that and building a connection with the receivers, with the offensive line, and just being one of the guys. That's something that I think he's worked on and been conscious of, and done a good job so far.”

A Giants Connection

Manning, who has kept himself busy since retiring after the 2019 season, is currently promoting The Athletic’s new 32-NFL team-specific Connections puzzles available through September 14.

The promotion offers fans a chance to solve their team’s puzzle and upload their completed entry for a chance to be randomly selected to collaborate with The Athletic to create a Connections: Sports Edition puzzle of their own for publication later this season.

Manning, who is one piece of the 16-piece Giants puzzle, has already tested that puzzle and some of the other teams' puzzles as well.

“It was fun playing the game,” he said. “I played a few of the other teams as well, but on the Giants one was kind of tricky. … But I think it's a great way to get fans excited about the upcoming season and to test their knowledge of their favorite teams.”

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