“My job is to be the best teammate and be ready whenever it is. But I’m excited.” That’s Jaxson Dart talking after leading the Patriots in the preseason finale, and it didn’t sound like lip service. The youngster just led the Giants to a clean 3-0 preseason, dropped 81 yards and an early touchdown on New England, and still made it clear—this is Russell Wilson’s show.

Dart isn’t pounding on the door for the QB1 spot yet. He’s learning and sharpening himself in the shadows. And that patience comes from a bigger story. Dart once passed on a mission for his faith to chase football, a decision he made with his parents and “Father in Heaven.” Now, he’s a first-round pick in New York, living out that leap of belief. Early camp had its bumps, but the Utah gunslinger with over 11,000 college yards may have finally settled into a rhythm.

Behind Wilson’s veteran presence, Dart is quietly proving he’s the one the Giants could be grooming for what comes next. And it’s not just New York fans noticing—the loudest cheers are coming from voices that have seen it all. “You see the throws he’s making,” Shannon Sharpe said with a grin, while Chad Johnson kept it simple: “He’s nice.” That wasn’t small talk. Against New England, Dart went 6-of-12 for 81 yards, hit Gunner Olszewski on a 50-yard bomb, and found Greg Dulcich for six. It was the kind of tape that makes one lean forward, because rookies aren’t supposed to look that comfortable.

As Sharpe explained, “If you play bad, we’ll say you played bad. But if you play good, we’re gonna say, ‘Hey man, get your popcorn. Watch this kid.’ His command of the offense, his ability to push the ball downfield, scrambling, and then suddenly finding his back—rookies don’t normally play like that. He plays with a lot of poise.”

That poise defined his preseason. Dart closed camp, completing 32 of 47 passes for 372 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions, plus a rushing score. Sharpe zeroed in on the arm: “He’s got a big-time arm. He’ll push the ball. I like guys who push it downfield. All that short fishing? You’re not going to catch big fish around the edge. The big fish are deep.”

Johnson backed him up with receipts: “Most rookies, to get themselves in rhythm, they’ll start short… but I remember maybe last week, it was third-and-short or maybe even on fourth down, and instead of checking it short, he threw the deep ball for a touchdown.” That’s the difference. Even after the blindside hit from Jack Gibbens that forced him into concussion protocol, the kid left a mark. The Giants crushed the Patriots 42-10, but the scoreboard wasn’t the story—the rookie was.

Russell Wilson Is Seeing Giants Rookie Risk It All

For a moment, everything froze. Jaxson Dart, the fearless rookie everyone’s been buzzing about, ripped off a 23-yard gainer, and then he dove headfirst into traffic. Jack Gibbens met him like a brick wall, the ball popped loose, and suddenly the stadium’s oxygen got sucked out. Dart sat up, tapping his helmet, and you could feel 70,000 people asking the same question: Did he just cross the line between gutsy and reckless? Jameis Winston tossed a touchdown right after, but no one’s eyes left the rookie walking into that blue medical tent.

Minutes later, Dart emerged with his helmet in hand, a silent statue on the bench. Cleared from concussion protocol, yes, but benched out of caution. Brian Daboll later admitted the plan was to pull him after a quarter anyway. “Got the wind knocked out of him. He’s good. Yeah, I would like him to slide on that,” the coach said, half-proud, half-furious. This was supposed to be another night where Dart’s preseason growth filled the headlines. Instead, fans were left wondering if his first real scar had just been etched.

And here’s the kicker—Dart doesn’t regret the decision. He regrets the fumble. “I thought I could split him. I feel like if I just break a tackle, then I’m gone,” he shrugged, almost annoyed at himself. That’s the competitor Russell Wilson is watching closely: a kid too hungry to play safe. So the question lingers—when does he get back under center? Because in New York right now, even the smallest hit to Dart feels like a tremor that Russell Wilson and the Giants have to brace for.