The New York Giants‘ 2025 season is officially a disaster, but if there’s one reason for Giants fans to hang in there when the team returns from its bye, it’s quarterback Jaxson Dart.
The dynamic rookie signal caller has breathed new life into the offense with his dual threat ability and his command of the offense, so much so that he’s fast rising the rankings of SI.com’s latest quarterback chart, Dart jumping up three spots from No. 24 to No. 21.
“Dart has to stay healthy after sustaining multiple massive hits and a pair of concussions, but his talent is undeniable,” noted writer Matt Verderame.
“The Giants are a trainwreck, but Dart is the shining light of hope, having the 17th-best EPA of +2.8 as a rookie. Dart has also amassed 1,893 yards across eight starts with 18 total touchdowns against three interceptions.”
Dart’s fearlessness makes for a challenge
New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (6) rushes the ball against the Chicago Bears during the second half at Soldier Field. | Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images
Keeping Dart healthy has been the challenge for the Giants. Dart is recently off a two-game absence due to a concussion after twice prior being evaluated for a head injury after taking a hard hit as a runner, only to pass the evaluation.
But Dart has been stubborn in terms of refusing to change his fearless approach to the game when he turns into a runner, insisting that he’s aware he’ll be hit and that he’ll do what needs to be done, such as what he did during a run on Monday night in which Patriots defender Christian Elliss popped him along the sideline.
“It was a good hit. Good hit,” Dart said of Elliss’s play.
But one that could have been avoided had he not insisted on going for the first down?
“There’s a time and place for things,” Dart said. “I watch quarterbacks who play kind of like me around the league. I watch how (Bills quarterback) Josh Allen plays, and I watch how (Chiefs quarterback) Patrick Mahomes plays. They take hits, too, so I’m not an anomaly here.”
The takeaways Dart has learned
Dart doesn’t intend to change how he plays, but he did take note of how Mahomes and Allen go about their respective games.
“I just see that they play the game as competitively and as hard as they can,” he said. “This is football, you’re going to get tackled. They get tackled. Every quarterback gets tackled. They’ve taken big hits. Every single quarterback has taken big hits.
“I don’t really watch it and be like, ‘All right, I’m going to try to model exactly how they do it.’ We all play the game differently. I think the narrative is just a little funny to me, to be honest.”
Something tells us that he won’t find it funny if his acceptance to put himself in line for big hits results in more missed time.
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