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Sep 28, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (6) looks on after the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at MetLife Stadium. Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Why Giants Don't Want to Limit QB Jaxson Dart's Aggressiveness

Originally posted on New York Giants on SI
By Stephen Lebitsch | Last updated Oct 3, 2025 2:00 PM ET

For New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart, the first major step in the journey of his first season in the National Football League was simply to get through his first game under center.

Last Sunday, the Ole Miss product and No. 25 pick did just that as he saw his very first start as a member of the Giants against the Los Angeles Chargers after the organization decided to pass the baton to their rookie prodigy in relief of Russell Wilson, who wasn't getting it done offensively.

The youngster's debut was far from a perfect one. Still, he quickly showed flashes of the type of leader and electrifying presence he could be for the Giants' huddle, leading them to a 21-18 upset win at MetLife Stadium behind his 165 all-purpose yards and two combined touchdowns.

Above all that he accomplished on the field, some of the biggest elements were the little things in between the lines that are really important for a new quarterback to pick up.

As Dart and company look ahead to his second game in Week 5 against the New Orleans Saints, the next step in the process is to build on all that and improve his weaknesses.

"I thought Jaxson did a nice job," Giants assistant head coach/offensive coordinator Mike Kafka told the media on Thursday.

"He was really confident, he was poised,” Kafka said, adding that he liked how the communication on the sideline with the rest of the offense went smoothly. “I thought he controlled the line of scrimmage. I thought he handled the tempo really well.”

Neither Kafka nor Dart would be naive enough to think that the entirety of the Giants' amazing victory last Sunday came off the smooth work of the novice signal caller alone.

The Giants presented an all-around effort in 60 minutes of play, spanning from the continuously improving protection provided by their offensive line to the impeccable pass-rushing frenzy that resulted in 20 quarterback pressures on the Chargers' Justin Herbert, courtesy of their tireless quartet on the defensive side.

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

What really helped set the tone for the rest of the team the entire afternoon was the fearless energy that Dart brought from the Giants' first possession of the game.

Despite facing what was one of the best early defenses in the league, the 22-year-old showed numerous times he was willing to take what the Chargers gave to him, and that often meant making some statements with his legs.

Dart, who ran 10 times for 54 yards and the Giants' opening score of the contest on a 15-yard scamper, did take a few nerve-wracking hits in the process of putting the team on his back, though.

In the modern NFL, where quarterbacks are the most important players on the field, it's fair to raise concerns about protecting them from their own aggressiveness to prevent an injury disaster.

To Kafka and the Giants, however, the trick to helping Dart grow in that area doesn't come from taking that skillset away from him, but instead stressing the fundamentals of when to prioritize the next play over the extra yard.

"It’s the age-old question of the running quarterbacks, and we've had it when I was with (Chiefs quarterback) Patrick (Mahomes), with (Colts quarterback) Daniel (Jones), with his ability to run and just protecting yourself," Kafka said.

"Once you get hit, you kind of learn a little bit from that, but Jaxson is a tough player, and he's competitive, and you don't want to take that away from him. There's a time when you want to slide and get down. There's a time when you’ve got to go get that yard.”

How then do the coaches help Dart make that determination?

"I don't know, but I think you’ve got to be smart in certain situations. If you're in the open field, you’ve got the easy yard, take one hit off of yourself,” Kafka said.

“I don't want to put the players in a box at all, it's just a smart balance that we’ve got to work through, and that will only come with time and experience."

After that challenge has been overcome, the Giants know that the next piece of adversity will come from opposing teams beginning to pick up Dart's talents on film and how they want to use them in their offense moving forward.

Suppose there's one thing about Dart that Kafka and the Giants have seen already. In that case, it's his strong knowledge of the game and ability to make adjustments based on what he's doing right and what he's learned in the film room, as he sees those defenses trying to respond to him in live action.

As long as Dart keeps stockpiling those reps, cleaning up any miscues, and soaking up his knowledge of defensive looks that will take his play to the next level, the Giants believe he'll reach the next steps, and they do not want to stunt the steady growth of his potential.