Feb. 7, 2026, 10:01 a.m. ET
Despite one of the worst records at the conclusion of the 2025 season, excitement surrounds the New York Giants this offseason — and quarterback Jaxson Dart is a major reason why, following his impressive rookie campaign.
Jameis Winston had a front-row seat to Dart’s rookie year, serving as his backup for most of the season. The veteran quarterback, who is set to return to the Giants as the backup once again in 2026, appeared as a guest on The Pat McAfee Show and raved about Dart.
“Oh my God! He is swaggy! It’s a vibe, man. One of the coolest, most laid-back competitors that you see. Yeah, he’s smooth. He looks good. He knows he looks good,” Winston said. “He’s confident. But he’s a competitor. He’s fearless. Man, he’s a warrior out there on this field.”
With Dart’s emergence, Winston also believes the Giants are headed in the right direction.
“When ya got a great young quarterback. And I believe our defense is good, man. We’ve got some great stars,” he said. “We got a defensive line. I believe our DBs are good, man. We gotta get Cor’Dale Flott back, man. Paulson Adebo — he was playing banged up a little bit. I think we got a good core. We just are required to finish in the fourth quarter and win some football games.”
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The Giants squandered several fourth-quarter leads throughout the season, and their record might have looked very different had they held on to a few of those advantages.
Dart’s aggressive style proved infectious, and the Giants seemed to play harder whenever he was on the field.
As Dart enters his second NFL season, he will work under an entirely new coaching staff led by head coach John Harbaugh. Dart was, of course, a major factor in luring Harbaugh to the Giants.
If Dart makes a significant leap in year two under the new regime, the Giants could turn the corner quickly and emerge as contenders.
