Jaxson Dart 'Not Scared' Ahead of Giants Preseason Debut, 'No Light That's Too Bright'

New York Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart expressed his confidence in advance of the team's preseason opener at the Buffalo Bills on Saturday.

"Yeah, I'm not scared," Dart replied when asked about not being afraid to make mistakes and having the mentality to learn from any potential errors and move forward, per an official team transcript.

"When I go out there, I'm going to play the game that I know how to play and the offense here, they don't give me restrictions on what I can and can't do so there's obviously going to be things where I'm learning when I can do something, when I can't do something. I think if you're going to play scared as a quarterback, you shouldn't be out there."

Dart certainly exudes confidence but not necessarily cockiness as he gets ready for his first real NFL action.

That confidence is something he'll need in New York, especially for a Giants franchise desperate for a consistent winner. New York hasn't enjoyed two consecutive winning seasons since 2011 and 2012, and no NFL team has posted a worse record (40-91-1) since 2017.

Fans will place great hope on the shoulders of the ex-Ole Miss star, the No. 25 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft. The Giants clearly believe in him, especially after trading up from No. 34 overall to make the move.

When the 22-year-old officially gets the call to be QB1 someday, the lights will be bright, but Dart will be wearing shades.

"The main point was football is football," Dart said when asked what veterans spoke to rookies about regarding expectations for their first preseason game.

"Obviously, you're taking a next step so it's a little bit more advanced and just little details and schematics and whatnot. At the end of the day, it's the same game you were playing when you were a kid so just enjoy that. Compete, don't leave any regrets out there on the field and don't ever take this moment lightly and there's no light that's too bright to play in."

Dart isn't going to be thrown into the fire right away, as Russell Wilson has the QB1 reins going into the season. New York also has another accomplished veteran in Jameis Winston.

Both are on one-year deals, clearing the path for Dart to start in 2026. For now, though, Dart is putting in the work and striving to get better. He'll look to take another step on Saturday at Buffalo. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET.