With just one game left in the regular season, the New York Giants have shifted their focus to the next year. Their major offseason assignment could just be hiring a new head coach. With several names emerging as potential candidates, a former New York rival head coach, Mike McCarthy, has emerged as the frontrunner for a very specific reason.

“Key in the search will be each candidate’s plan for rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart, especially if that coach’s expertise is not the offensive side of the ball,” ESPN‘s Jordan Raanan wrote about the Giants head coaching hire.

The 3-13 Giants fired Brian Daboll in Week 10 and have since handed the reins to offensive coordinator Mike Kafka. Since then, they’ve only managed one win, which came in the last game against an underperforming Raiders. Now, Mike McCarthy appears to be the favorite for the New York head coach role with his stellar record of developing quarterbacks. With McCarthy, shot callers like Aaron Rodgers and Dak Prescott have gone on to have incredible performances.

Rodgers, with head coach Mike McCarthy at the Green Bay Packers, achieved immense success. AROD won Super Bowl XLV, four MVP awards, and had multiple top-10 offensive rankings, with the Packers setting franchise records in 2011 for points and touchdowns.

Similarly, during his four-year stint with the Dallas Cowboys, McCarthy helped transform Dak Prescott into an offensive juggernaut. In 2023, the Cowboys QB1 led the NFL with 9 touchdown passes while having a career-high completion rate of 69.5%. also finished with 4,516 passing yards.

Mike McCarthy’s Dallas exit was abrupt and unsentimental. After a disappointing 7-10 season and just one playoff win across five years, contract talks with Jerry Jones stalled. Despite strong regular-season numbers, both sides chose a reset, mutually agreeing to move in different directions.

That resume is exactly why McCarthy still carries weight. From Rodgers’ MVP peak to Dak Prescott’s 29-touchdown explosion in 2023, his track record fits Jaxson Dart’s profile. With a rookie already completing 63.2% passing and limiting mistakes, McCarthy’s structure and QB-first philosophy could accelerate the Giants’ rebuild fast. If the Giants can bring Mike McCarthy into the fold, he could be the perfect head coach, developing the 22-year-old Jaxson Dart into a star quarterback.

While the front office views a coach like McCarthy as the key to unlocking Jaxson Dart’s elite ceiling, a vocal segment of the fanbase and media is questioning if the rookie should even be part of the long-term plan. In the middle of that chaos, New York Giants legend Phil Simms has stepped in to issue a strong verdict on the trade buzz.

Simms addresses the Giants’ trading Jaxson Dart rumors

On his Simms Complete podcast, a visibly frustrated Phil Simms dismissed the idea of trading quarterback Jaxson Dart after just one season. Addressing the rumors that New York might look for a new signal-caller with their projected top-two pick, Simms didn’t mince words.

“I don’t even know what to say because I don’t… That’s the dumbest a–thing ever,” the New York Giants legend said. “Jaxson Dart was, I thought, one of the best-looking football players on the field in that game. If that means anything, his movement, I thought he looked faster than I’ve seen him all year. Of course, his arm it’s a good, solid NFL arm in all aspects, accuracy, power, all that stuff. He can make all the throws and all the things we talk about.”

Even in a rough season for the Giants, Dart has an 89.8 passer rating while throwing for 2,042 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also limited mistakes with only five picks across 13 games. Despite contradictory buzz, Simms continues to back the 22-year-old and considers him the future of the New York Giants.

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All the speculation pauses now. With nothing but pride on the line, the Giants close the season against a familiar rival, giving Jaxson Dart one final audition. Sunday against Dallas is less about the standings and more about setting the tone for what comes next.