Giants' Jaxson Dart, John Harbaugh Hyped by NFL Insiders Ahead of 2026 NFL Season

Some NFL insiders are excited to see how much New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart can develop in his first season playing under coach John Harbaugh, according to SNY's Connor Hughes.

"Hard not to be fired up right now," someone described as a "team source" told Hughes. "Hall of Fame coach … and a franchise quarterback."

When asked about what the Giants hiring Harbaugh might mean for Dart, one source who has worked with the coach told Hughes: "Look at Joe [Flacco]. Look at his first four seasons in the league."

New offensive coordinator Matt Nagy has thus far been effusive in his praise of Dart.

"I didn't know how tough he was and how good a runner he was," Nagy said. "At the Combine, us not really being in the quarterback market, watching him, just observing how he handled himself in that group of quarterbacks at the Combine, you could see this moxie he had, this it factor. When I got here to New York and started meeting with him, you could tell right away that was true. This kid is different in that way."

The Baltimore Ravens hired Harbaugh in January 2008, four months before selecting Flacco with the No. 18 pick of the draft.

Harbaugh went on to lead the Ravens to an 11-5 record behind their rookie quarterback, then helped Flacco post at least 3,600 passing yards and 20 touchdowns in each of his next three seasons.

He capped off Flacco's fifth NFL season with a Super Bowl XLVII win in January 2013.

Harbaugh's dismissal by the Ravens and hiring by the Giants means he will now get the chance to try and similarly develop Dart, who posted 2,272 passing yards with 15 touchdowns and five interceptions in 14 games of a rookie campaign impacted by injuries to himself and other key members of the roster.

Dart will also get the chance to work with Nagy, who spent the last three seasons working with Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Giants will now hope to get running back Cam Skattebo and wide receiver Malik Nabers both healthy in time to join Dart for the start of his first season under Harbaugh and Nagy.

Neither player is ready to join the team for OTAs, although Skattebo is set to return sooner than Nabers, Harbaugh told reporters Tuesday.