Jaxson Dart showed some dazzle with his fast legs — more so than his big arm — in his first career NFL start for the Giants in a tough home game vs. the Chargers.
Jaxson Dart's debut grades: How Giants rookie QB lived up to last name in upset win over Chargers originally appeared on The Sporting News
How did New York Giants rookie QB Jaxson Dart do in his NFL starting debut? He gets more than a passing grade — thanks to his running and winning in Sunday's 21-18 Week 4 home shocking upset victory over the Los Angeles Chargers.
The Giants, at 0-3, were looking for a spark vs. their 3-0 interconference opponents and Dart provided it. He was the needed offensive playmaking catalyst with his youthful confidence, inspiring the defense to make sure he outdueled red-hot counterpart Justin Herbert.
Dart also flashed through the air, but unfortunately, his best throw came on a costly "free play" that didn't count, an incomplete deep shot to second-year wide receiver Malik Nabers in the first half. With Nabers suffering a right knee injury (torn ACL) on the attempt, Dart will need to keep operating without his best weapon.
The Giants did get an injury scare with Dart, after a hamstring tweak and a check for a possible concussion led to a brief relief appearance by benched former starter Russell Wilson.
But there's no doubt the now Nabers-less Giants are Dart's team going forward in the final 13 games. Here's breaking down what all he did in his debut:
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Jaxson Dart stats vs. Chargers
Passing: 13-of-20, 111 yards, 4.1 yards per attempt, 5 sacks, TD, 96.0 rating
Rushing: 10 attempts, 54 yards, TD
Dart started off running well to help the Giants jump out to 10-0 lead. While under heavy pressure by the Chargers' front working on the weak pass protection in front of him, Dart didn't record any pass play for 20 or more yards.
DARTY TIMEEEE 🥳
— New York Giants (@Giants) September 28, 2025
📺: CBS pic.twitter.com/jC16jXOhdI
He did, however, do enough effective dinking and dunking to move the ball enough to preserve a field-goal lead in the fourth quarter.
Most importantly, Dart avoided giving the ball away, an upgrade from the recent turnover-prone ways of Wilson. That led to a rather efficient day, despite averaging well fewer than 5 yards per attempt.
Jaxson Dart NFL debut grade
What Jaxson Dart did well
Dart looked the part of handling one of New York's highest-pressure jobs. That became a little too literal with the Chargers racking up the sacks and hitting him plenty. He proved at 6-foot-2, 223 pounds, he's got the physical toughness and mental makeup to succeed as a dynamic dual threat.
He also adjusted well to the challenges of the defense and the added obstacle of losing Nabers. In that regard, Brian Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka designed a manageable game plan that set up Dart for moderate success.
Dart was known for his speed and quickness as a runner at Ole Miss, unlike Giants' two-time Super Bowl champion Eli Manning. Dart didn't get a chance to flex his arm too much, but he did show some decisive, dangerous wheels as his surname suggests.
What Jaxson Dart didn't do well
Dart should have tried to be a little more aggressive at times and use his legs to manufacture some downfield opportunities minus Nabers. Given how well the Giants' defense was playing, getting a couple of key sacks and interceptions of Herbert, the game flow may have kept the team from letting him loose.
Dart spread the ball as well as he could, including a sneaky good red zone shovel pass to tight end Theo Johnson for his first career passing TD. He will need to lock into someone between Darius Slayton, Wan'Dale Robinson and his other wide receiver to bail him out of tough situations like Nabers would have.
DART TO THEOOO 🙌
— New York Giants (@Giants) September 28, 2025
📺: CBS pic.twitter.com/iXR6g7t5uf
The rookie gets a favorable matchup on the road in New Orleans against the Saints defense, who just got ripped by former Daboll Bills mentee Josh Allen. Expect Dart to have more chances to grip it and rip it, on top of giving the green light to take off and run when it warrants.
Dart debut grade: B+
Category: Football
