The best leaders don’t always reinvent the people around them. Instead, they create an environment where they can thrive. That’s the philosophy Jaxson Dart believes John Harbaugh has brought into the New York Giants, and it’s become the most striking takeaway since his arrival after replacing Brian Daboll.

“I would say his leadership [has been an eye opener],” Dart told Mike Garafolo and Brian Baldinger of the NFL Network. “The way that he carries himself just as an individual, a man. It’s something that you can really, really respect day in and day out. And I think the biggest thing is he’s never trying to change anybody from who they are, but he’s, you know, putting out his culture, his plan, and it’s for us to buy into it, and I think that that’s really cool to have.

“When you have all these different guys coming into a brand new system, who have, you know, different experiences and some of us being younger, a lot of the vets. But we’re all binding into the exact same plan because we trust him because of how great a coach he is, the man that he is as well.”

Jaxson Dart was drafted by the New York Giants in 2025 and is heading into his second NFL season as the franchise quarterback. Dart was present at the team facility in January 2026 to sit down with Harbaugh face-to-face during the official interview window. The 63-year-old HC was coming off an 18-season stint with the Baltimore Ravens, and when he met Dart, the chemistry between the two was instant.

John Harbaugh noted after the meeting that talking to Jaxson Dart got him so fired up that he was “ready to run through a brick wall” for him. Harbaugh’s arrival into the franchise also brought a change of perspective for the players.

“I just think that we’re very versatile. I think it starts there,” said Dart to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan in May. “I’m excited for the pieces we brought in; they’re going to help us a ton. We’re just going to be a physical, violent team. That goes for the offensive side of the ball [and] the defensive side of the ball and special teams. That’s the style that he wants us to play… We’re hungry to win, and I couldn’t think of a better coach to play for.”

Since 2012, the New York Giants have made the playoffs only twice (in 2016 and 2022). With the inclusion of Super Bowl-winning head coach John Harbaugh, alongside a veteran coaching unit that includes Matt Nagy (Offensive Coordinator), Dennard Wilson (Defensive Coordinator), and Chris Horton (Special Teams Coordinator & Assistant Head Coach), will it change the team’s fortune?