Big Blue View
When might the Giants get Jaxson Dart on the field?
The New York Giants schedule is now known, and we’re all speculating about what their record will be.
But there’s another storyline hanging over the whole season that we need to talk about. That is, of course, the development timeline of rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart. The Giants traded up from 34th overall to take Dart 25th overall, with the intention of developing him as their quarterback of the future.
While Dart has played a lot of football, starting 41 games over his collegiate career, he’s also the youngest quarterback in his draft class. It’s also widely acknowledged that he needs development before he’s ready take over the reins of the franchise.
The Giants brought in both Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston as veterans to lead the offense. They did so with the intention of creating an environment for a young quarterback to learn and grow without the pressure of having to be “The Guy”.
Life, however, doesn’t always go according to plan. So while the plan may be for Dart to develop in the shadows while Wilson and Winston play the games, that might not be how things actually play out. Whether it’s due to injury, poor performance by the veterans, or (dare we dream?) Dart developing far faster than expected, we might see Dart starting for the Giants before 2026.
When might that be?
The Giants face a (potentially) brutal start to the season with games against the Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs, and Los Angeles Chargers. It’s entirely possible that they start the year with an 0-4 record and the door to the playoffs shut by October. In that case, the Saints present the best early entry point if the Giants want to insert Dart into the lineup.
The Saints could be fielding a rookie quarterback of their own after the retirement of Derek Carr. Right now their quarterback room is populated by rookie second-round pick Tyler Shough, 2024 fifth-rounder Spencer Rattler, and journeyman Jake Haener. While Alvin Kamara and Chris Olave are certainly dangerous players, and the Saints have talent on their defense, this game isn’t as daunting as the two following it (vs. the Philadelphia Eagles and at the Denver Broncos).
Even if Dart isn’t forced onto the field as a starter, this might be a game in which the Giants get his feet wet if they’re up at the end of the game.
One of the concerns about starting Dart against the Saints (apart from the fact that he might not actually be “ready”) is that it’s on the road. Even if the Giants are forced to play Dart before they’d prefer to do so, starting him at home would likely be preferable than in one of the toughest places to play in the NFL.
With that in mind, we spin forward a month to...
