Jaxson Dart isn’t going to pretend he enjoys standing idle on gamedays.
“As a competitor, I don’t have like a blast watching from the sideline,” the Giants‘ rookie quarterback said with a smile Friday at his locker. “But it’s just the way that it is. My job is just to do what I can control and when I’m sitting there, I’m itching. You just want to compete. You want to be out there.”
Jameis Winston still believes unequivocally that he’s good enough to start in the NFL.
“I know there’s probably not 32 quarterbacks in this league that’s better than I am,” the Giants’ No. 3 QB said. “I told Russ[ell Wilson], like, ‘Russ, I want to be starting,’ and he’s okay with that. That’s how you want the room to be.”
Both quarterbacks were diplomatic, though, about supporting starter Russell Wilson in their current roles.
At some point, the dynamic will change. Maybe as soon as Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys (0-1) in Arlington, Tex.
For now, they’re waiting their turns.
“In some ways, you kind of feel like a fan a little bit when you’re on the sideline,” Dart said. “So it’s a little bit different of a feeling of what I’m used to, but I’m just trying to shift my perspective… My job is just to be there for Russ and be the best teammate. So that’s my approach each and every week.”
Still, Sunday could be the day that Dart plays his first NFL regular-season snap. It’s getting that late early for Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen.
The offense scored a measly six points in their season-opening loss to a Washington Commanders (1-1) team that got dominated on Thursday night by the Green Bay Packers (2-0). And the entire world already knows the Giants have a package of plays in their gameplan for Dart.
Dart said he doesn’t pay attention to any fans clamoring for him to play.
“I think it’s just kind of like the nature of the sport,” he said. “Anytime you don’t win, people talk and things like that happen. It’s completely different when you win.”
But the Giants weren’t anywhere close to winning in Week 1. That’s the point.
Dart actually corrected the notion that there is a specific package for him to function as more of a specialist or change of pace.
“I don’t know if it’s as much as a package of plays,” he said. “I’m just preparing for whatever chance that I get. There’s not a specific game plan or anything like that. It’s me just trying to be prepared and be ready whenever my number’s called.”
So perhaps the Giants leaked the existence of that Dart package to soften Wilson’s inevitable benching, whenever it comes, and make it seem more like part of a planned in-game strategy than an indictment of the veteran’s play.
Regardless, putting Dart into a game is imminent. That’s exciting but not without several unknown variables.
For one, Dart is barely getting any reps with the starting offense.
He’s mostly running the scout team, with a handful of first-team snaps mixed in here and there. So he doesn’t get many reps with Malik Nabers, Darius Slayton and the players he’d be throwing to once he enters.
“The starters get most of the reps with each other, and those are very valuable reps for them,” Dart said. “So you definitely don’t get a ton of reps with those guys. But I try to do a really good job at kind of just watching the tempo of how they run routes.
“And when Russ is taking a rep, I like to stand in the back and do my own footwork, my own drop, to kind of match the concepts and try to get that muscle memory as much as I can to try to tie myself up with those guys,” he continued. “So it’s just the nature of the NFL. The ones get the reps with the ones and regardless, you have to be ready.”
Dart still goes through the entire practice script with Winston on the field after practice to make sure he’s mentally and physically installing and repping the game plan throughout the week.
So Daboll insisted the rookie will be prepared once it’s his time.
“Each day we’re trying to groom him and when he has to play, he’ll be ready to play,” the coach said.
But that does present a challenge for Dart when he plays, taking this from a simulation to the real thing with minimal reps alongside the teammates he’ll be throwing the ball to on gameday.
“At the end of the day, the most important thing is winning,” Dart said. “Regardless of if you’re on the field or not on the field, if you lose, it’s not fun. So for us, we’re just trying to go 1-0 each and every week. And that’s where we gain confidence as a team, is from winning.”
Winston raved about Dart’s work ethic and preparation.
“He’s not waiting for his moment; he’s preparing to be the very best,” Winston said. “And I think that’s just his making. He’s been working hard his whole life. So why stop now?”
The veteran quarterback also said “I don’t take things personally” regarding his drop on the depth chart as the emergency third quarterback.
And he stayed diplomatic when asked if he would prefer to be on the field somewhere else or if he remains excited about his role with the Giants.
“I’m grateful for my role right now,” he said. “I think anybody who loves football wants to play, but that is not my case right now. So I’m going to do all I can do with where I am, with what I have.”
What the Giants have are options in their quarterback room behind Wilson. What Dart and Winston have is patience but also competitive fire.
It creates a fascinating dynamic for how Sunday will play out against the Cowboys if the offense continues to struggle.
It makes this must-win game a must watch.
THOMAS EXPECTED OUT AGAIN
Giants left tackle Andrew Thomas (foot) is doubtful and expected to miss a second straight game to open the season. Defensive lineman Rakeem Nunez-Roches (foot) is doubtful and not expected to play. And backup linebacker Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (calf) is out.
Slot receiver Wan’Dale Robinson (ankle) is questionable. The good news is receivers Malik Nabers (back) and Darius Slayton (groin) have no injury designations and will play.
Cowboys corner DaRon Bland (foot) is out. He is the only Cowboys player with an injury designation. Safeties Malik Hooker (foot) and Juanyeh Thomas (personal) have no injury designation.
