While New York Giants fans have reason to believe they may have a prospect with real franchise quarterback potential, in a short amount of time, some worrisome red flags have emerged about Jaxson Dart.
This is quickly becoming an absolutely miserable season for the Giants. Heading into Week 11, they own a 2-8 record and have been on the wrong end of some really embarrassing losses. In Week 7, they gave up 33 points in the fourth quarter, blowing a big potential road win against the Denver Broncos. Then on Sunday, they blew a 10-point lead in the final quarter to again waste an opportunity to score an upset, this time against the Chicago Bears.
Season-ending injuries to Pro Bowler Malik Nabers, then a couple of weeks ago to fan-favorite rookie Cam Skattebo, have aided the descent into another disastrous season. However, despite the misery of this year, there has been one bright spot: Rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart.
He created a lot of buzz for himself in the summer with rumors about how quickly he had learned the offense, then strong play in the preseason. It wasn’t long before speculation began on when he would eventually become the QB1. That came in Week 4, and ever since, the Giants’ offense has been far more competent than it was with future Hall of Famer Russell Wilson. Even without Nabers and Skattebo.
The Giants had that 10-point lead late against Chicago because of another strong performance from the rookie and over 300 yards from scrimmage heading into the fourth. Then he was knocked out of the game due to a concussion, and New York spiraled into another loss. However, while concussions are always a risk in football, it should be a major red flag for Big Blue fans.
Could Jaxson Dart be another Tua Tagovailoa?
One of the great early signs about the former Ole Miss star through his first seven games as a starter in the NFL has been his accuracy. He struggled against tough Broncos and Eagles defenses recently, but that is to be expected for a rookie QB. However, in his five other games this year, he has had a completion percentage of 65% or better. In comparison, No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward has done that just twice in nine starts in 2025.
While Dart has shown his upside as a passer, his game is heavily reliant not on his arm but on his legs. It is something head coach Brian Daboll liked about him coming out of college, and prefers in his quarterbacks. However, for even the toughest and well-built QBs, there is big risk in being a signal-caller who runs a lot. Fans have seen the downside countless times over the last 25 years as teams try to bring that element of college football to the pros.
Jaxson Dart stats: 1,417 passing yards, 317 rushing yards, 17 total TDs, 3 interceptions, 93.5 passer rating
Making matters worse is that Dart is showing worrisome problems with head injuries. Last month, Daboll received a $315,000 fine for being too involved with the Giants’ blue tent when Dart was evaluated for a concussion following a big hit. He was cleared and allowed back in the game. Exactly a month later, the youngster took another big hit, and this time he had a full-blown concussion.
NFL fans have seen with Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa that concussions can often happen just from common sacks, and they can have a huge influence on a player’s performance and outlook long-term. Dart is making that risk greater by relying so much on running for success. After suffering a head injury — of different severity — twice in a month, that should scare Giants fans. It may mean his current style of play is unsustainable at this level.
Despite running being such an effective part of his game, New York must look at rushing Dart far less and rely on his arm and the upside it has shown much more. Or they could risk a talented player who is out of the league fast because his brain was not able to hold up.
