The New York Giants are entering the 2026 campaign with quite a bit of hope, much of which is due to the sudden rise of quarterback Jaxson Dart. After starting his rookie year on the bench, Dart quickly took over as the Giants‘ starting quarterback, and while the team still only won four games, he quickly made their offense one of the most exciting units in the league.
Dart plays with a reckless abandon under center, and while that’s part of what makes him such a fun player to watch, it also caused some problems for him, both in terms of his play on the field and his propensity for getting injured. Ahead of the 2026 campaign, Dart drew a strong warning from former NFL offensive lineman Brian Baldinger when it comes to his aggressive style of play.
Brian Baldinger Turns Heads With Jaxson Dart Comments
The No. 25 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Giants’ initial plan was to have Dart sit on the bench and develop behind the scenes to begin his career. Instead, Russell Wilson performed so poorly under center that it resulted in Dart getting thrown into the fire far sooner than expected. However, he showed off his potential during his time on the field, leading New York to believe it has found its quarterback of the future.
In 14 games, Dart completed 216 of his 339 pass attempts for 2,272 yards, 15 touchdowns, and five interceptions. Of course, Dart is also a threat to make plays on the ground with his legs, as he racked up 487 yards and nine more scores on 86 carries. At his best, Dart can single-handedly lead the Giants’ offense up and down the field.
The problem is that Dart’s propensity for embracing contact led to him spending a lot of time in the blue medical tent last year. Moving forward, the Giants are going to need Dart to stay on the field as much as possible. With that in mind, Baldinger recently urged Dart to play a more disciplined style of football, which he thinks is possible now that guys like Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo are back on the field with him.
Jaxson Dart, he can’t just go and challenge these defenses, and take off and run like he did. It’s not going to go well,” Baldinger said in an interview with Betway. “But if he plays a more disciplined style and Malik Nabers is healthy, with the line and the running game, he’s got a chance to be really good.”
Giants Need Jaxson Dart to Take Another Step Forward in 2026
Dart made the Giants’ offense quite exciting last year, but now he needs to find a way to help his team win more football games. New York spent much of the offseason building up the infrastructure around Dart, but if he doesn’t play a more controlled style of football under center, it may not matter.
There’s good reason to believe this group can take a step forward in 2026, but Baldinger is right in suggesting that Dart is going to have to switch things up in order to help his team. We will get our first look at Dart in his second pro season when he and the Giants square off against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football in Week 1.
Giants QB Jaxson Dart Gets Blunt Warning From Former NFL Offensive Lineman