Not long ago, New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart lit up the Dallas Cowboys in primetime, beginning an exciting campaign in East Rutherford. He looked more than ready to make the second-year leap many anticipated with John Harbaugh's installation as head coach, yet folks have seemingly forgotten.
In fairness, Dart's showcase against the Cowboys came in Week 1, and he suffered a season-ending knee injury early in the next contest. It's been nearly two months since what can only be described as a bitter twist of fate. While much has changed along the way, getting hurt shouldn't change his status as a rising star.
Dart's time was coming, and still is, once he's back to full strength. FanSided's latest NFL QB rankings overlook his derailed ascension, though, grading him 21st out of 91 options. Be mindful that "career reputation or past performance" wasn't factored into the hierarchy "more than necessary," and "only expectations for 2026 mattered."
Soon enough, Dart will remind everyone that he's much more than a Tier 4 player, aka a "solid starter."
Jaxson Dart doesn't get enough love in FanSided's latest NFL QB rankings
Let's reminisce about just how good Dart was in New York's 28-20 win over Dallas. He completed 23 of 29 passes for 230 yards and three touchdowns, adding another 54 yards on 11 rushes. His 79.3 completion percentage, 134.2 passer rating and 69.0 passing success rate all finished second among 36 passers in this year's opening slate.
Impressively, Dart didn't shine alone in the Big Blue's defeat of the Cowboys; his performance elevated their entire ecosystem. We're more than halfway through the season, and no one has topped the Giants' 3.03 single-game offensive expected points added per drive. Small sample aside, it was a true statement outing that deserves proper due.
Why shouldn't Dart be in line with his division rival, Jayden Daniels of the Washington Commanders, who's 15th on FanSided's list? Frankly, not much separates them as throwers or runners. Not to mention, and perhaps more notably, the former has more victories than the latter since 2025.
You are the company you keep, as the saying goes. However, according to a consensus of 50 panelists, almost every signal-caller in Dart's bucket is trending downward. Make it make sense!
Does Giants' success without Jaxson Dart work against him?
The G-Men have fared well without Dart — almost too well. It's fair to wonder if the team's push to the top of the NFC East standings is changing his perception for the worse. After all, most squads crumble when their QB1 is out of the lineup, but that hasn't happened.
New York has done a fantastic job of keeping the ship afloat in Dart's absence, although their defense has been the driving force. The offense hasn't completely bottomed out, yet it's been far from the well-oiled machine Dart was spearheading. Losing him has hurt the unit's overall efficiency and had a major negative impact on the ground attack.
It's easy to imagine Dart surpassing many of the names ahead of him if he were healthy. Give it time, and the comeback will be greater than the setback.
Note: Advanced metrics courtesy of Fantasy Points' data suite 2.0 ($).
Add us as a preferred source on Google