Giants QB Jaxson Dart Feels No Pressure to Save Jobs

Being in the NFL comes with a certain degree of pressure at every position, regardless of one’s level of experience or position.

New York Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart is in that same boat now that he’s getting the opportunity to be a starter. But the one thing he’s not necessarily feeling the pressure to do is save the jobs of the coaching staff and general manager.

“I don't feel it from that standpoint,” Dart said Wednesday in his first public comments since head coach Brian Daboll confirmed that the rookie would get the nod over veteran Russell Wilson.

“My focus is just trying to win one game at a time. We've been so close each week, and it's been tough to watch. It's been tough as a team to come back in the locker room. Our focus just has to be on, um, each day, each rep individually, how can we be better?”

Perhaps Dart’s belief is his way of shielding himself from the pressure of being too perfect starting this weekend, when the team hosts the undefeated Los Angeles Chargers.

Because while Daboll insisted earlier in the day that the decision to switch to Dart was his alone and that it was not the result of any pressure he was feeling after the team’s 0-3 start, there’s little question that the circumstances surrounding this sudden decision after the team’s brass spent months insisting that Russell Wilson would be the starter and that Dart would be afforded as much of a red shirt year as possible, are sketchy.

For instance, both Daboll and Dart, the latter of whom was previously the QB2, admitted that the rookie hasn’t done much work with the starters in practice, raised an eyebrow or two regarding just how ready Dart actually was to take on such a big role against a Chargers defense that’s currently ranked in the top ten league-wide overall, against the run, and against the pass.

But Dart doesn’t seem to be too worried about the opponent as he is about making sure that he’s ready to deliver the results Daboll and company are looking for.

“I credit the coaches, their development with me and growing my knowledge on the ins and outs of the game, especially on the defensive side of the ball, and being able to understand tendencies and, um, you know, how to exploit those tendencies,” Dart said when asked how he knows he’s ready for what lies ahead.

“So I think from a knowledge standpoint, I've grown a ton. Also, I would like to extend my gratitude to the guys in my room who have been a huge help to me and have shared a great deal of wisdom. Those are the guys whom I just watch daily and try to learn from. I've grown a lot in that area.

“And I think that just kind of the scheme involved in the game plan is really suitable for my abilities. I'm just excited for the opportunity.”

Dart said that there will be a lot of extra meetings to help bridge any gaps between starters, with whom he admitted that he didn’t get a lot of work during the summer and into the season.

“Yeah, there's gonna be a lot of extra meetings that we hold just as players and being able to see plays the same way, you know, from the same lens and just kind of just the fill of space,” he said.

“Like I said, it's a different responsibility now for me being a starter, and like you said, I haven't got a ton of reps with those guys, so the times we're able to get just routes on air, being able to just have discussions are very valuable.”

Regardless, Dart said he was appreciative of Daboll’s confidence in him.

“It means a lot 'cause you know, that you can trust them and, and they can trust you,” he said. “And I know that every day that I come out here, every day that I step into the facility, he's gonna give his all for me, and I'm gonna do this the same way. So, I'm excited to get out there on the field, excited to take another step with this team and do everything we can to win games.”

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