Fans of the New York Giants fell in love with Jaxson Dart in his first NFL start against the Los Angeles Chargers. But he also made a strong impression on some of his teammates, as well.
Veteran EDGE rusher Brian Burns offered his impressions of the rookie QB’s standout first start and explained why he left feeling “impressed” by Dart.
The Giants, of course, traded up to select Dart with the 25th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft in April. After playing minimally over the Giants‘ first two games, he unseated Russell Wilson, completing 65 percent of his passes for 111 yards and a TD throw to tight end Theo Johnson while also rushing for 54 yards on 10 attempts and scoring a 15-yard TD with his legs.
Dart will make his second NFL start, and his first on the road, against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.
Brian Burns: Jaxson Dart ‘Actually Impressed Me’
There is no better way for a young QB to win over his teammates than by putting his body on the line, and although his numbers may not say so, Dart authored a virtuoso performance in that respect.
Dart put his body on the line but also ran smartly, especially on his icebreaking scamper that put New York up 7-0 on the Chargers and capped an exquisitely executed nine-play, 89-yard drive.
“I didn’t anticipate that drive being as successful as it was,” Burns told Jordan Schultz on “The Schultz Report” podcast. “I knew he was going to make some splash plays, run around and use his athleticism, and I knew that was going to energize the crowd. But I expected growing pains in that game.”
Burns noted the Chargers‘ dominant defense, which until Sunday, had allowed 50 points and 865 total yards in their 3-0 start — against each division rival in the highly competitive AFC West.
“He actually impressed me,” Burns said. “That was good. That was a tough defense he went against.”
Jaxson Dart ‘Was Consistently Making Plays’ In Training Camp
Dart showed Giants fans glimpses of what he could do during their 3-0 preseason, and Burns saw the same going against him in practice during training camp.
“He was consistently just making plays,” Burns said, “and he was making plays that rookies don’t really make, in my opinion. He was showing his ability to extend plays, direct traffic, and he started s— to me and [Giants All-Pro defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence], which opened my eyes.
“I was like ‘oh, he’s got somethin’ to him.’ I like that.”
Dart has endeared himself to Giants fans, veterans like Burns and fellow rookie running Cam Skattebo — who raved about his relationship with his peer. All that bodes well for the future, as long as Dart can do a better job of getting himself out of harm’s way, according to Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka.
“Itâs the age old question of the running quarterback,” Kafka said. “You donât really know until you get hit, once you get hit you learn a little bit from that.”
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