The New York Giants are preparing for a new era on offense, and much of that responsibility will fall on Jaxson Dart. The second-year quarterback is set to enter the 2026 season as QB1, taking control of a system that has undergone significant changes under offensive coordinator Matt Nagy.
After months of practices, meetings and preparation, head coach John Harbaugh believes Dart has made major progress. But with the regular season approaching, Harbaugh also knows the quarterback has yet to face his biggest test.
Jaxson Dart has spent the summer learning how to run the offense. Now, in Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys, he will finally get the opportunity to show what he can do when it matters.
John Harbaugh explains Jaxson Dart’s biggest area of growth
John Harbaugh was asked where he has seen Jaxson Dart grow the most throughout the summer. Rather than identifying one specific aspect of his game, the Giants coach pointed to Dart’s development within the entire offensive system.
“Where have I seen him grow the most? It’s hard. You can’t pin that one either really, because I think it’s more about right now this offense. Being in this offense, operating it and executing it for every player. And for sure Jaxson probably the most because he’s the quarterback. He’s got the most responsibility for operating the offense and for executing it. He’s running the whole show.”
Jaxson Dart has become comfortable in Giants’ offense
John Harbaugh also offered an encouraging assessment of Jaxson Dart’s current level of comfort within the offense. “I think he’s come a long way. He looks really comfortable in what we’re doing right now. The next test will be game time. We’ll see how he does.”
The Giants open the 2026 season against the Dallas Cowboys, putting the young quarterback in the spotlight immediately as he begins his second season as New York’s starter.
Despite the importance of the opener, Harbaugh does not want Dart — or anyone else — to view Week 1 as a definitive judgment on the season. “The first game is not the end of the story. The first game is the beginning of the story. It’ll be the beginning of the story for Malik, for Jaxson and for our whole team going forward. So, that’ll be a great moment to see where we’re at and then we’ll figure out where we’ll go from there.”
