How the Giants Rebuilt Their Offense to Support Jaxson Dart's Growth

New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart completed less than half his passes under pressure in his rookie campaign due in part to a subpar receiving group and his own tendency to hold the ball too long.

The Giants, in wanting to ensure Dart takes the next step in his second season, spent the offseason making sure the young signal caller has everything he needs to succeed in Year 2, including a different offensive scheme.

While lingering concerns about his aggressive play style as a runner aren't going away any time soon, Dart is trending toward a breakout season in 2026.

Giants are Taking the “Pressure” Off of Dart

Jun 3, 2026; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (6) participates in drills during organized team activities at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The load put on Dart in 2025 was more than any rookie quarterback should have to handle. For most of the season, the Giants relied almost completely on the former first-round pick to move the ball down the field.

Dart only shared the field with Malik Nabers for less than 30 snaps. After Nabers' season-ending knee injury, the young quarterback was left with Wan’Dale Robinson and Theo Johnson as his primary targets.

He still produced at a high level, getting Robinson 1,014 receiving yards, but the offense was severely limited without Nabers on the field, which forced the Giants to lean more heavily into 12-personnel.

While the offensive line was relatively decent in pass protection, when pressured, Dart struggled, often holding the ball too long (4.10 seconds under pressure) and sometimes trying to force it into tight windows.

Dart was pressured on 93 of his pass attempts, completing just 43% of those passes, though he managed to throw six touchdowns and only two interceptions when under duress. Still, he absorbed 34 sacks when under pressure.

The Giants have added multiple veteran receivers to provide a more competent floor of receiving options so that the Giants don’t have to keep relying on one specific target. Those additional options can only help Dart in expanding his post-snap reads.

Giants' New Scheme Favors Dart's Strengths

Offensive coordinator Matt Nagy will be a helpful addition for Dart, too. Nagy, who collaborated with senior offensive assistant Greg Roman and quarterbacks coach Brian Callahan to build the Giants' new system, will emphasize several things that will help Dart take the next step in his development.

These include a power running game and play-action. The Giants improved the running game by adding fullback Patrick Ricard and guard Francis Mauigoa, which will help eliminate the burden on Dart as a runner and allow him to work more with play-action rather than strictly out of the shotgun.

The new scheme will also keep some elements from Dart’s college years and his rookie season, specifically RPOs. Those, along with play-action, will create opportunities over the middle of the field.

The Giants, in acquiring taller, more physical receivers, will also help Dart, as he now has larger targets to throw to, particularly downfield, where his deep-ball accuracy last year was just 31.1% on pass attempts of 20+ air yards.

On the Right Track

Dart's continued growth and comfort working more under center will remain central focal points this summer.

Everything is there for him: a more balanced group of pass catchers, a power running game, and a quarterback-friendly scheme. Now, it's on the young quarterback to put the pieces together and get the job done.

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