The New York Giants are hoping for better fortunes in 2026 after a brutal 2025 campaign. They have a new head coach in John Harbaugh, and they hope he can help develop Jaxson Dart into the franchise quarterback they envisioned on draft night.
Harbaugh has a ton of experience in the NFL that certainly makes the Giants believe he can do the job. He helped mold Lamar Jackson into a perennial MVP candidate, for instance. No two quarterbacks are the same, but it’s not out of the question that Dart could thrive under his new head coach.
However, there are some concerns coming out of New York’s first preseason game. Dart played in this game. But his usage in the contest has baffled some across the NFL world.
Connor Hughes Surprised by John Harbaugh’s Usage of Jaxson Dart
During New York’s preseason opener, Dart took a massive hit against the Minnesota Vikings. He lay motionless on the field for a bit but was eventually able to continue playing. He underwent concussion protocol as a result of that hit.
SNY NFL insider Connor Hughes was left a bit stunned by Harbaugh’s decision to re-enter Dart into this game. While Dart needs reps as a young quarterback, his position as the starter is secure. According to Hughes, there’s no need to risk further injury.
“The bringing him back in after he was cleared, I don’t think there’s any explanation that I can give you that’s going to make that one make sense,” Hughes said. “It’s a meaningless preseason game, he’d already had a decent amount of reps. To bring him back in for one play right after he was knocked on his you-know-what, it’s not something I would do.”
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Hughes then spoke to the frustration Dart recently expressed about having to go into the blue medical tent. The Giants insider pointed to the quarterback being “motionless” immediately after the hit as justification for why he needed to be checked out.
“I was at that game. He laid on the field motionless for several seconds. It was a noteworthy scene to just see him curled up like that,” Hughes added. “Yeah, he might have had the wind knocked out of him. But any independent anything that sees that transpire is going to say, ‘Hey, go let that guy get checked out.'”
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Dart did not begin the 2025 NFL season as the Giants’ starter. However, he took over the role midseason and showed a lot of promise. He had the 23rd-highest QB Impact score in the league, according to PFN’s in-house QB Impact Metric. He threw 15 touchdowns to 5 interceptions, as well.
If the Giants are to do well in 2026, they will need Dart to remain healthy and take a leap forward. New York begins its 2026 campaign on September 13 against the Dallas Cowboys.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.