A new era is beginning for the New York Giants, with John Harbaugh taking over as head coach. Jaxson Dart will once again be tasked with leading the team, and his mindset and obsession when stepping onto the field is something that reminds Harbaugh of both Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.
“He really cares about football,” the HC said in a recent interview with Giants radio broadcasters Bob Papa and Carl Banks. “So, for him to be this young, have that kind of mindset. I don’t know if it surprises me because I think that the guys that have a chance to be great, I feel like the Bradys of the world, the Mannings of the world, you know, they, they were always like that probably from the beginning.
“I don’t think they had to learn that. They kind of had it probably maybe from high school on. And I kind of see that in Jaxson Dart. Now we’ll see what he does with it. You know, we’ll see, you know, we’ll see, like all of us, we’ll see how good we are. We’ll find out.”
It is clear that Dart is still taking his first steps in the league and has a long road ahead of him, but he has the potential to become one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks. Additionally, the way Harbaugh views his quarterback is already creating excitement throughout East Rutherford.
Head Coach John Harbaugh of the New York Giants speaks with media.
The mindset that impressed Harbaugh
Dart had a solid rookie season statistically, highlighted by an aggressive style of play that often led him into unnecessary collisions with opponents. Harbaugh, while not surprised but certainly impressed, believes that mindset can take him and the team a long way.
“I don’t know about surprised, probably just impressed, probably more than anything. I do think he’s obsessed. I believe that he really, really wants to be good. He’s kind of got the it factor from a leadership standpoint because he’s respected by the guys,” Harbaugh said.
“I mean, they just know how hard he works, and they know how much he cares, and they respect his talent, of course. He’s got a little juice, you know, he’s got some charisma.”
Jaxson Dart #6 of the New York Giants
Brady and Manning’s first year in the NFL
In 1998, Peyton Manning was the No. 1 overall pick for the Indianapolis Colts, starting all 16 games and putting up a prolific yet erratic rookie campaign with 3,739 passing yards, 26 touchdowns, and a league-high 28 interceptions, setting rookie records at the time for yards, completions, and touchdown passes.
By contrast, Tom Brady’s 2000 debut with the New England Patriots was almost invisible; buried as the fourth-string quarterback after being drafted 199th overall, Brady appeared in just one game during his rookie season, completing 1 of 3 passes for 6 yards.
Dart’s NFL debut season
Taken over as the New York Giants starter in Week 4 after being selected 25th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, Jaxson Dart delivered a promising and fiery rookie campaign. Over 14 games (12 starts), the former Ole Miss signal-caller threw for 2,272 passing yards, 15 touchdowns, and just 5 interceptions, finishing with a solid 57.5 QBR. Known for his aggressive playstyle and mobility, Dart also made a massive impact on the ground by rushing for 487 yards and 9 touchdowns, flashing franchise-QB potential despite the usual rookie growing pains.
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Can Jaxson Dart follow in the footsteps of Brady and Manning?
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