Jaxson Dart played a huge role in John Harbaugh's deal with Giants

John Harbaugh is finally ready for his next challenge. After some holdup, he signed his five-year deal with the New York Giants.

The former Super Bowl-winning coach was the most-coveted figure in this year's coaching cycle, so getting him to the Big Apple is no small feat.

He had several suitors, and the fact that he chose the Giants speaks volumes about Jaxson Dart and how he's already pulling big names to MetLife Stadium.

In an interview with Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer, Harbaugh admitted that Dart played a huge role in his decision.

John Harbaugh wanted to coach Jaxson Dart

“First of all, all the quarterbacks of these teams, I was impressed with all these guys,” Harbaugh told Breer. “They’re all up-and-comers; they’re all gonna have really great careers. But getting to know Jaxson, because this went a little further, I got a chance to talk to him, and I was really, really excited talking ball with Jaxson Dart. His mindset is exactly what you’re looking for. His enthusiasm and excitement for the game, and for every part of football, that really got me fired up.”

Dart was arguably the most exciting rookie quarterback in the league this season.

Even though he hit a wall after so many injuries and Brian Daboll's firing, the potential is clearly there.

Per Football Reference, the rookie out of Ole Miss finished the campaign with 2,272 passing yards and 15 touchdowns while completing 63.7 percent of his passes. He also had 86 carries for 487 yards and nine touchdowns.

On the downside, he threw three picks and lost two of five fumbles in his 14 appearances (12 starts), and he took way too many hits.

Still, the Giants have a promising, up-and-coming roster, and getting a championship-caliber coach will certainly work wonders for a team that seemed to have lost its direction.