The Good, the Great and the Ugly of QB Jaxson Dart's Rookie Season

We review the best and worst things about Jaxson Dart's rookie season.

Jan 4, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (6) scrambles during the fourth quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

When the New York Giants traded back into the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft to take a quarterback that they were not planning on playing in year one, there were a lot of looks and questions from fans of Big Blue Nation.

A couple of games into the season, many were already clamoring for him to be the starting quarterback, and the Jaxson Dart era officially began in New York. Although the team's record was not stellar, Dart had a year worthy of the Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

He impressed with his arm talent, his athleticism, and his moxy. He also disturbed people with the way he ran the football. As a total package, all arrows point up.

Let's examine the good, the great, and the ugly of the franchise quarterback of the Giants. 

The Good: Rushing Ability

The Good of #NYGiants quarterback Jaxson Dart is his rushing ability. He is a weapon with his legs though designed runs or improvisational scrambling. pic.twitter.com/jzj9yGAXHQ

— Coach Gene Clemons (@geneclemons) January 30, 2026

Dart's rushing ability has been a revelation. It's not as if people didn't know he was athletic or that he could run and escape, but many did not realize exactly how athletic he was.

His ability to run has proven to be more than just a tool; it is a legitimate weapon he uses regularly to take his game to another level. He is quicker and more agile than defenders would think when looking at his body.

When he gets into the open field, he's faster than he looks, which causes defenders to take bad angles to tackle him.

In today's NFL, offenses face defenses with sub-five-second 320-pound defensive tackles barreling down on quarterbacks, edge rushers who run 4.4 and 4.5 40-yard dashes, and schemes that send linebackers, cornerbacks, and safeties on blitzes at any time.

Quarterbacks literally have a couple of seconds to make decisions before they are destroyed by homing heat-seeking missiles.

Having a quarterback who can use his legs as a weapon allows the offense to change the math and play 11-on-11 football. It is this specific advantage that a coach like John Harbaugh has utilized over the past several years, enabling his team to gain an offensive edge through the quarterback's talent as a runner.

The Great: Arm Talent on the Move

Even as a rookie, Dart was one of the best throwers of the ball, especially on the run. We know he has all the arm talent: he can throw it far, he has great accuracy and placement, and he understands how to put touch on the ball when necessary.

The Great of #NYGiants quarterback Jaxson Dart is not just his arm talent it is his ability go throw stationary or on the move. pic.twitter.com/eA1wz0Vq29

— Coach Gene Clemons (@geneclemons) January 30, 2026

However, while many quarterbacks can do those things, very few can perform at that level, throwing with high velocity and accuracy while running to their left or right side, delivering the ball with defenders draped all over them, and transitioning instantly from a running threat to flicking the ball on a string to a receiver 15 to 20 yards downfield between two defenders.

His effectiveness on bootlegs and sprint outs is legit because his legs instill fear that he may run the ball, which makes defenses dedicate another defender to stopping him and gives him bigger lanes to throw to. 

They know if they stay back off of him, he could just run and pick up a first down or more. This always puts the defense in a pickle about what to do to stop him from throwing the ball, but he can switch so seamlessly from one to the other that it's hard to read his tendencies.

These are skills that only a handful of signal-callers in the NFL demonstrate regularly, and Jackson Dart is undoubtedly one of them.

The Ugly: Recklessness When Running

Sometimes, someone's greatest gift can be the cause of their hubris. This could be youthful exuberance or foolish pride, but whatever it is, the way Jackson Dart finishes runs tends to lead him to the medical tent.

The Ugly of #NYGiants quarterback is his recklessness. It could be youtubful exuberance or it could be ingrained in him. pic.twitter.com/0VtxO2XGlI

— Coach Gene Clemons (@geneclemons) January 30, 2026

When he is given the option of sliding, getting out of bounds, or just getting down to avoid a massive hit, he many times turns down those options and looks to barrel through defenders. While this is fixable, it was a significant problem during his rookie season. 

Even on plays where it seemed like an easy decision, depending on how hyped up he was in the game, he might decide to take on a defender.

A quarterback has to think about more than just the play at hand, whether it's lowering a shoulder, throwing a stiff arm, or trying to body up a defender. He has to know that any hit he takes can be the one that takes him away from the game.

To his credit, you can see him start making better decisions down the backstretch of the season. However, those are not games that are filled with passion or emotion because they were already playing for nothing. You have to control those emotions and that passion when it matters the most.

Coach's Corner

Jan 4, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (6) scrambles as Dallas Cowboys linebacker Shemar James (50) defends during the second quarter at MetLife Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

This is a really big offseason for Jaxson Dart. While we still don't know who the offensive coordinator will be, whoever it is, it will be important for Dart to spend as much time in the classroom as he does in the weight room.

He needs to get his body ready for the rigors of a quarterback who not only will run, but should be required to run to supplement what this offense does on the ground.

Better decision-making will simply come down to maturity. He needs to make better decisions when passing the ball, specifically knowing when to trust—and when not to trust—that his arm can cut the ball through multiple defenders.

The arrow is pointed squarely up for Dart, and it will be important for coaches to continue to put him in positions to play with confidence.

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