Jaxson Dart burst onto the NFL scene with a stunning Week 4 win over the playoff-caliber Los Angeles Chargers. He followed that up with an even more impressive victory two weeks later, embarrassing the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles under Thursday night's primetime lights.
Related: Tom Brady says what every Giants fan secretly hopes is true about Jaxson Dart
His best statistical showing came in Denver in Week 7 — 283 passing yards, three touchdowns through the air, and another on the ground to put them up late. But a costly fourth-quarter interception helped fuel an impossible Broncos comeback. And after a quiet Week 8 in Philly, the jury might already be out on the 25th overall pick... at least in some circles.
Not everyone is sold on No. 6. Some believe the honeymoon phase is over.
An anonymous NFL executive told The Athletic’s Mike Sando that the book might already be out on Dart, pointing to the Week 7 collapse as a turning point:
"When you lose a game like you just did, allowing 33 points in one quarter, I feel like you do not recover. I feel like now, teams are going to have a good feel for who this quarterback is, and that magic he had from going in there and being the spark is about to dissipate, because teams are going to make him play quarterback."Anonymous NFL exec
Anonymous NFL exec prematurely buries Jaxson Dart after just five starts
This analysis sounds more like a doomsday scenario than the natural progression that happens to all young quarterbacks. It’s tougher to gameplan for a rookie when there’s no tape on him. So yes, defenses now have five games’ worth of Dart film to analyze and scheme for.
That shouldn't mean the spark is gone or he’s a lost cause. That’s ridiculous. He was labeled more project than polished product coming out of Ole Miss, which makes what he’s doing even more impressive.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: he’s not exactly lighting the world on fire statistically. He’s averaging 196.8 passing yards per game with a 59.9 completion percentage. But it’s the little things — the pocket awareness, the ability to extend plays, the confidence/aura/moxie. He’s the youngest starting quarterback in the league. Shocker... he’s not perfect.
That said, it’s not like his supporting cast is Murderers’ Row. Malik Nabers’ season ended with a torn ACL in Dart’s debut. That’s left him throwing to Darius Slayton, Wan’Dale Robinson, Lil’Jordan Humphrey, and Theo Johnson. And now life gets even harder, with Cam Skattebo dislocating his ankle and likely joining Nabers on the shelf until 2026.
Sure, teams might be getting the drop on the 22-year-old and his tendencies, but to suggest the shine has already worn off after five games is absurd. There’s been zero evidence to suggest he can’t — or won’t — be the next franchise quarterback of the Giants.