With a name like Dart, he just had to be a quarterback, didn’t he? He is rookie Jaxson Dart of the New York Giants, and last night he and his team stunned the reigning Super Bowl champs, the Philadelphia Eagles, 34-17.
Let’s get the football stuff out of the way so we can get to the stuff that really matters to you.
Last night, his stats were average but solid, going 17 for 25 in the passing department with one touchdown pass, and then adding 58 yards on the ground with one rushing touchdown.
So far this year, he’s got three starts under his belt with a record of 2-1. He’s thrown three touchdowns and two interceptions.
These are not impressive statistics and in themselves don’t give any reason to believe he’ll be a star in the league or even a long-termer. But if you are a football fan and you’re familiar with the situation he entered into in New York, something is going on in the Big Apple, and this may only get better from here.
If this is the case, Dart’s performance on the field will make a lot of fans happy. Add in his central-casting looks, and New York might just have its next media darling.
The New York Giants were terrible in 2024, going 3-14. So far this year, they’re still only 2-4, in fourth place in their division. But you have to know they started the season 0-3. Something big had to have happened in Week 4. That “something” was Dart.
New York fans have now seen this high-energy quarterback bring a spark to the team that is reflected in how the offense performs around him, and by extension, how the whole team has pulled together to win when he’s in the lineup.
While Dart’s individual stats weren’t exceptional last night, he operated an offense that scored five touchdowns against the Eagles. This is the first time they’ve done such a thing since 2012. The win was the first one over a defending Super Bowl champion since beating the Denver Broncos 27 years ago in 1998.
In describing Dart, Giants Head Coach Brian Daboll said, “I've liked everything about Dart since we got him…he's got toughness, I think he sees the field well, he's got athleticism, vision, leadership. But it's three games in; 2-1 as a starting quarterback. But a lot to work on. He'll be the first to tell you that. He's a leader."
Jordan Raanan of the New York Post added, “The leader of a team that showed the rest of the NFL it is at least dangerous with him as the quarterback.”
It’s just a feeling at this point, but if you’ve seen him play in these past three games, you’d have every reason to think the Giants will turn in a winning record at the end of this season, and perhaps earn a playoff berth. That would be quite an accomplishment for a team that started the season 1-4.
Dart played his college football first at USC, and then in 2021, he transferred to Ole Miss, where he racked up 38 starts, two 10-win seasons, and a Peach Bowl trophy for a win over Penn State. He surpassed Eli Manning as the Rebels’ all-time passing leader.
The Giants selected him in the first round of last spring’s draft. He took over the offense after veteran quarterback Russell Wilson sputtered to start the season 0-3.
Giants fans now not only have hope, but they may have a new football hero. Dart’s number-6 jersey has been the best-selling NFL jersey in recent weeks at online NFL merchandise retailer Fanatics. His jersey has outsold that of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and other football superstars. These are all signs he’s already a fan favorite in New York and well beyond.
To look at him, he looks like he’d be just as comfortable toting a surfboard as tossing a football. At 6-foot-2, he’s tall enough, and he has that quarterback look that will make him attractive to advertisers and sponsors. This is sure to help him in the world’s largest media market as his agents seek out endorsement deals.
None of this is a surprise to his oldest fans, his mom and dad. Last night, Amazon Prime’s Thursday Night Football host Charissa Thompson asked Kara Dart, Jaxson’s mother, how it felt to see her son start his NFL career in this way.
“Well, I’m gonna get emotional," she said. "I think when you have a child that works as hard as he does, and dreams as big as he dreams, that’s what you want for him. You want him to reach those dreams. So, it’s really special."
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