Speaking during Organized Team Activities, quarterback Jaxson Dart said the extra offseason time helped him grow after a rookie year that ended with four wins in 14 starts. Dart also described being “really excited” to work with new offensive coordinator Matt
When Jaxson Dart stepped into the New York Giants’ quarterback spot as a rookie. the job came fast and the results came slower than anyone wanted. Then injuries cut short the seasons of wide receiver Malik Nabers and running back Cam Skattebo. leaving Dart to carry the offense and scramble for answers.
In 14 starts last season, Dart finished with four wins.
This offseason, the Giants have tried to reset the foundation. New York fired head coach Brian Daboll and hired former Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh. while also bringing in Matt Nagy as the team’s offensive coordinator. Fans and analysts have largely praised the changes as the Giants look to turn promise into playoff runs in the NFC.
Now, with the team in Organized Team Activities, Dart is back on the field after a stretch of time away, and he’s speaking with growing confidence about how the year ahead is shaping up.
During an interview with NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. Dart pointed to the difference in how this offseason has felt compared to his quick transition after college. Garafolo noted it was “nicer to have a bit more time this offseason than before” Dart’s rookie debut. when there was a rapid sequence that went from the college-to-NFL Combine jump to the Giants’ camp and then games.
Dart said last year was “for sure, the longest year of my life,” adding, “I feel like I’ve grown a ton as a person, as a leader, as a quarterback.”
Asked about his experience with the new coaching staff, Dart didn’t sound like a player trying to hit talking points. He sounded like someone already absorbing the new routine.
He said he was “really excited” to get the chance to play for Nagy. describing him as “a great teacher. great person. and he’s had a ton of experience.” Dart added that Nagy “learned so much” during his career so far is something Dart wants to keep soaking up—“Just constantly trying to take in knowledge and take in coaching because he’s one of the best for sure.”.
Garafolo also described what Harbaugh is bringing to practice. He said Harbaugh called the team’s “overall speed” during OTAs “really good” and “high energy,” then asked Dart whether that was a credit to the new coach or to Dart’s work establishing things.
Dart answered with credit on both sides, but with emphasis on the atmosphere that’s already taking hold. “I think there’s a lot of things there that kind of play into that. definitely starting with him and just the culture that he’s already established and created here. ” he said. He added that the organization’s hunger to win is contagious: “Just think there’s a ton of guys that are. we’re just hungry to win. This whole organization is. Having a spark like him that comes into the building each and every day. the energy that he brings. everybody feeds off it.”.
That “winning culture” is exactly what Harbaugh brings to New York from his years in Baltimore. His Ravens tenure included an overall regular-season record of 180-113, with 12 playoff appearances from 2008 to 2025, and a Super Bowl win in 2012.
For the Giants, the stakes of this rebuild are personal in a different way. New York last appeared in the NFL playoffs in 2023, winning a Wild Card game against the Minnesota Vikings. That run came before Dart, Skattebo, and Nabers arrived, and before the coaching staff was overhauled with Nagy and Harbaugh.
In other words, the team isn’t just auditioning new systems. It’s trying to prove that the talent is ready to match the urgency.
Dart and the rest of the roster are now back practicing together as the Giants approach the 2026-27 season—carrying the memory of what a rookie year felt like, and betting that the new coaching voice will turn that growth into something more than flashes on Sundays.
Jaxson Dart New York Giants OTAs Mike Garafolo Matt Nagy John Harbaugh Brian Daboll Malik Nabers Cam Skattebo 2026-27 season NFL playoffs