New York Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart made his NFL preseason debut on Saturday, showing promising signs while remaining self-critical. Drafted 25th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, Dart completed 12 of 19 passes for 154 yards and a touchdown, helping lead the Giants to a 34-25 victory over the Buffalo Bills.
Dart entered the game after starter Russell Wilson’s opening drive, which ended in a field goal. Dart promptly orchestrated a scoring drive ended by a 28-yard touchdown pass to Lil’Jordan Humphrey in the second quarter. Alongside his passing, Dart rushed three times for a team-high 24 yards, including a notable 19-yard scramble for a first down.
Regardless of the positive statistics, a 63.2% completion rate and a quarterback rating of 106, Dart described his performance as simply “mid,” per Patricia Traina of Sports Illustrated. He cited missed third-down conversions and deflected passes as areas needing improvement.
“I just felt like the only reason that we stopped ourselves from scoring touchdowns were just some of those third downs and not converting,” Dart explained.
“I feel like personally, I'm hard on myself. So, in those moments, I want to capitalize on that. Those possessions in those crunch-time situations determine the game. So, like I said, I feel like I can do a lot more, but I was happy with how the guys played around me.”
He also credited the offensive line for their strong protection, saying, “I was really happy with how our O-line played. I don't think that we had a sack all game, if I'm right. They played amazing, and I was really happy with the operation.”
While the Giants have no plans to play Dart extensively this season, preferring to redshirt their rookie behind Wilson, the preseason showing gave fans and management hope.
Dart stayed calm under pressure, confidently scanning the field even while on the move. Leading three straight scoring drives in the second quarter showed his potential to climb the Giants’ depth chart.
Overall, Dart said he’s pleased with his performance but knows there’s still a lot of work ahead to reach his full potential.
“I expect myself to play well whenever I'm on the field,” he said. “I was just trying to operate the offense and get the ball out of my hands pretty quickly to get guys the ball in space for them to make plays. And I thought they did a great job at it.”
“Just kind of try to stack these, and the more reps that I feel like I'm going to get, I'm going to get more and more comfortable.”
In a franchise searching for stability at quarterback amid years of struggles (with a 40-91-1 record since 2017), Dart’s debut offers a glimpse of a hopeful future, even if the rookie himself insists he has much more to prove.
