In the New York Giants' loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 16, Jaxson Dart's Offensive Rookie of the Year bid took a serious hit. The 2025 first-rounder completed just seven passes for 33 yards and an interception in a game that marked by far the worst start of what's been a promising career so far.
Part of why Giants fans love Dart so much is because he's unflappable, but a seventh straight loss has the 22-year-old growing numb to the ineptitude surrounding him. And after last week's rough outing, he didn't shy away from confidence, admitting he thinks he'll bounce back in these final two games.
Jaxson Dart talks about bouncing back from his struggles against the Vikings:
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) December 24, 2025
"You look back at the tape, look at the things that you can correct. At the same time, I know the kind of player I am. I'm going to bounce back. I think everybody in their careers is going to have a… pic.twitter.com/wpvdpjD8q3
Usually, confidence like this is hard to come by for a rookie who is playing for a team with the worst record in the league, but Dart isn't your average rookie quarterback. As he said, he's done a lot of really good things this season, so one rough outing against Brian Flores' defense doesn't define him.
One bad game shouldn't change the fact that Jaxson Dart is the future of the Giants
The Ole Miss product is correct in his assessment that all players will have games in their careers they're disappointed about, but only he can control how to respond to this one. And since he plays the most important position on the field, it's encouraging to see Dart holding himself accountable.
After watching him struggle on Sunday, several fans think Big Blue should trade Dart and draft Fernando Mendoza with the top pick in the 2026 Draft. But that's not even remotely feasible, as the Giants have witnessed their franchise QB overachieve given the horrible situation he was drafted into.
Since Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo went down, he's been throwing to Wan'Dale Robinson, Theo Johnson, and Darius Slayton, and none of those guys are world-beaters. And even still, Robinson is in the midst of a breakout year, which goes to show you Dart will shine once the offense is fully healthy.
Given the fact that the "tank bowl" against the Raiders is on the horizon, many Giants fans are praying for a loss on Sunday, but that's not how Dart rolls. He's always going out there to win, especially with him hoping to silence the doubters following a performance like last weekend.
And since he's entering the weekend with a big chip on his shoulders, his words are the latest piece of evidence that the Giants drafted the right man to lead this franchise going forward. Here's hoping he does bounce back on Sunday.