Things went well for Jaxson Dart when he was on the field for the New York Giants in 2025. But the scrutiny of being the face of the Giants may be a challenge for him in his second season.
Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report named “exposure” as Dart’s biggest potential obstacle ahead of the 2026 NFL season.
Dart, who Giants general manager Joe Schoen traded up to select with the 25th pick of the 2025 NFL Draft, had a breakout rookie season. He threw 15 touchdowns and had only five interceptions, while posting 487 rushing yards and nine TDs on the ground and finishing fourth in NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year voting.
Bleacher Report Names ‘Exposure’ as Jaxson Dart’s Biggest Obstacle
There were few expectations for Dart in his rookie season, even though he was a first-round pick. He started the year behind both Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston on the depth chart.
Plus, the Giants were expected to be terrible, with the toughest schedule in the league and hapless coach Brian Daboll still at the helm.
But things are different this year. The Giants are a dark-horse playoff pick in the wide-open NFC, thanks to Dart’s emergence and first-year coach John Harbaugh.
That could leave Dart, a native of the tiny city of Kaysville, Utah and quarterback at the University of Mississippi, in a bind as the face of the Giants franchise. Previous star-rookie QBs C.J. Stroud (Houston Texans) and Jayden Daniels (Washington Commanders) also faced that.
“Dart generated 24 passing/rushing touchdowns to just five interceptions in 14 games as a rookie,” Gagnon wrote. “But as was the case with Stroud and Jayden Daniels, the league will adjust.
“How will he handle being the face of the franchise in America’s biggest media market with opposing defenses gunning for him? Let’s see.”
Exposure has Been an Obstacle for Jaxson Dart Already This Offseason
Staying on the field could be the biggest obstacle for Dart. He repeatedly found himself in the blue medical tent and sustained at least one concussion, which cost him two games, narrow seven-point losses to the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers.
Yet, Dart is already struggling with the enhanced exposure. He has been outspoken on social media, both politically and with trash talk, which created a local firestorm last fall.
Plus, he, of course, created a national stir recently with his Giants teammates by introducing the controversial President of the United States at a rally in New York. Dart was forced to publicly address the issue at OTAs on Friday after it upset Abdul Carter, Dart’s teammate and fellow 2025 first-round draft pick.
Most 23-year-olds commit online gaffes these days, and Dart can put all his critics to bed by doing what he does best: putting himself on the line and leading the Giants to victory.
But Stroud and Daniels both proved it’s already hard enough to play when the smartest defensive minds are working hard to stop you. If Dart remains publicly outspoken about opponents or politics, Gagnon’s assessment stands to be accurate.
Giants Quarterback Jaxson Dart Facing This Obstacle for Second NFL Season