Throughout the 2026 offseason, one piece of criticism has refused to die regarding New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart. Plenty of analysts have claimed that the second-year QB needs to run the ball less for the sake of protecting both the ball and his longevity.
John Harbaugh doesn't seem to be listening.
The new head coach seems ready to double down on Dart's rushing ability in 2026, even comparing his usage to Lamar Jackson's.
Speaking on the Dominique Foxworth Show, Harbaugh said, "We can get in the pistol and we can run RPOs. We can run quarterback-driven runs with Jaxson Dart. A lot of the stuff that we did in Baltimore with Lamar as well."
Giants' John Harbaugh reveals his plans for Jaxson Dart in 2026
Dart was electric as a runner last season. He produced 18 carries of ten or more yards and ran for 38 first downs. Despite only making 12 starts, he had 487 rushing yards, which finished third among quarterbacks.
He did fumble the ball five times and took more hits than he needed to, causing analysts to call for him to play a safer brand of football in 2026.
Instead of succumbing to criticism, John Harbaugh seems ready to push Dart even further into his strength as a runner. Why take away the most dynamic element of your young quarterback's game?
Harbaugh is used to coaching a dual-threat quarterback. While Lamar Jackson has been used less as a runner in recent years, he had over 100 designed rushing attempts in each of his first three seasons. Notably, Greg Roman was the Baltimore Ravens' offensive coordinator in each of those seasons. Roman is now an offensive assistant and run game coordinator on Harbaugh's Giants staff.
Dart only had 29 designed rushing attempts in his rookie season. Most of his production on the ground came from his 38 scramble attempts. If Harbaugh's staff plans to deploy him as they did with Jackson, his designed rushing attempts could increase dramatically this season.
Running the ball more doesn't need to mean taking more hits. Dart is more than willing to put his body on the line when necessary, but he can be used as a runner and still protect himself from taking too much contact.
Dart gives the Giants more versatility than most NFL quarterbacks with his dual-threat ability. Clearly, Harbaugh has no plans to suppress his young quarterback.
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