Jaxson Dart reveals 'biggest change' John Harbaugh has brought to Giants

The New York Giants have received praise from the NFL community after hiring one-time Super Bowl champion head coach John Harbaugh to serve as the team's head coach and true head of football operations.

During an appearance at the Fanatics Fest event in New York City on Sunday, second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart touched upon what Harbaugh has brought to the Giants so far. 

John Harbaugh wants to build Giants' "toughness"

"His identity starts in the trenches," Dart said about Harbaugh, per Dan Benton of Giants Wire/USA Today. "And that's what he wants to build the team around; our physicality and our toughness."

Under Daboll and Giants general manager Joe Schoen, the team ended the 2022 regular season with a playoff berth in hand. The Giants then earned a road postseason win at the Minnesota Vikings in January 2023, which seemed to be a sign of positive things to come for Big Blue. 

However, the Giants later went 13-38 from Week 1 of the 2023 campaign through this past January. While there was hope last summer that younger players such as Dart, wide receiver Malik Nabers and running back Cam Skattebo would help improve the Giants' overall culture, both Nabers and Skattebo were lost to concerning season-ending injuries. 

Nabers suffered a torn ACL and torn meniscus on Sept. 28, 2025, while Skattebo went down with a gruesome dislocation of his right ankle on Oct. 26, 2025. Additionally, Skattebo's physical playing style and antics have sparked concerns among pockets of Giants fans regarding his ability to stay healthy. 

It sounds like Dart doesn't want Harbaugh to completely coach certain traits out of Skattebo and others later this year. 

John Harbaugh has already improved the Giants' culture

"I think the biggest change has been the culture," Dart continued. "How Harbs establishes camaraderie between the team, the coaching staff, the standard. It's a different feeling. It's a refreshing feeling. And I think we're all really excited."

Of course, comments made in July about the Giants' culture won't matter that much to fans if the team has a losing record when Christmas comes around. That said, it sounds like Harbaugh impressed members of the Giants throughout the offseason program. 

Veteran Giants players are due to report for training camp on July 28.