University of Kwazulu-Natal

Brian Daboll May Love Jaxson Dart But Does He Deserve To Coach Giants

Bonisiwe Shabane
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brian daboll may love jaxson dart but does he deserve to coach giants

Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart suffered a concussion during Sunday’s 24-20 loss to the Chicago Bears, raising questions about head coach Brian Daboll’s reliance on designed runs for his rookie quarterback. Dart has rushed 57 times through nine games this season. His rushing ability was one of the few bright spots against the Bears, including his 24-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. But it came at a cost when he was forced to leave the game after taking a hit. During his postgame news conference, Daboll was asked if he was utilizing Dart too much in the run game. He sidestepped the question, focusing only on Dart’s injury.

“It’s unfortunate, but, you know, unfortunately got hurt,” Daboll said. Dart left the game after completing 65.5% of his passes Sunday (19 of 29) for 242 yards and rushing for 66 yards and two touchdowns. We'll never know if the New York Giants could've held on in Week 10 against the Chicago Bears had Jaxson Dart not left the game to be evaluated for a concussion, of course. But what we do know is that the G-Men were ahead at the time that he exited the game, and the contest didn't end that way. That, in itself, is enough to make head coach Brian Daboll's seat much hotter than it already was. However, the role that he played in Dart's injury, even if somewhat indirectly, ultimately should be the final straw to get him fired.

Let's be clear, I'm never rooting for a coach to be fired and a human being to lose their job. At the same time, this is a performance-based job and, through many iterations, the Giants haven't gotten the performance they were hoping from with Daboll at the helm. The biggest bright spot to cling to this season, however, has been Dart, who's been a revelation at quarterback. Throughout his rise, though, the concern has always been about his health, which is why Sunday's injury was so maddening. For all of the things Dart does well, protecting himself has never been one of them. That was an issue at Ole Miss, especially with his mobility, and it's continued to be a concern for fans when watching him at the NFL level.

Now, part of that is certainly on the quarterback. He needs to be smarter and understand that there's time to be a bit reckless and time to play with a bit more caution in regard to his own well-being. At the same time, the other part of that is on Daboll and the Giants coaching staff. They have to coach a young quarterback on how to best play it safe with his health and not take hits. They also have to give him the playbook on protecting himself. We didn't see any of that, though, and it ultimately led to the rookie suffering a concussion.

And while Dart might be somewhat at fault for that, the brunt of the blame should come down on Daboll. If there was a message about the QB protecting himself, it wasn't direct enought. And if there wasn't a message, then that's even worse. The New York Giants have had a roller coaster season in 2025. It’s been filled with ups and downs, highs and lows, and a whole lot of losing. The emergence of rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart has been a big one, with New York seemingly finding their first franchise quarterback since the legendary Eli Manning.

But injuries, poor talent, and coaching around the Ole Miss product have left him to carry the load by himself. Head coach Brian Daboll was fired midseason after his third consecutive 2-8 start, despite the positive development of Dart. The Russell Wilson-New York Giants era is over before it ever truly began. Three games with the once-elite and now washed-up veteran quarterback felt like an eternity. It didn't take much for head coach Brian Daboll to pull the rip cord on this forgetful experiment and pivot to first-round rookie Jaxson Dart. Daboll has officially and predictably decided to hand the keys to the Giants' offense (and his job) to Dart.

This year's No. 25 overall selection will make his first NFL start in the team's Week 4 interconference clash with the Los Angeles Chargers. It's a momentous occasion on multiple levels, especially for the former. Big Blue Nation is well aware of this, but Daboll has ridden the quarterback carousel since the Giants hired him in 2022. Dart "holds the distinction of truly being [his] first QB of choice," as Grant Gordon of NFL.com outlined. While the timing is far from ideal, New York's sideline general presumably finds solace in the news.

Dart gives Daboll at least some control over his destiny. It may be too little too late for a regime sitting on a scalding hot seat. Nevertheless, at least the 2022 Coach of the Year finally has a handpicked signal-caller, whether that saves him from getting fired or not. Of course, Daboll probably would've preferred to not have any controversy under center, because that would mean Wilson is working and the G-Men are competitive. Yet, after "[inheriting]" current Indianapolis Colts passer Daniel Jones and a myriad of backups/veteran bridge options, having a preferred choice sounds incredibly refreshing. It's like finally being old enough to order your favorite ice cream flavor.

The New York Giants have officially decided to move on from now-former head coach Brian Daboll after a disappointing three-plus-year run. His dismissal comes on the heels of yet another fourth-quarter meltdown that included rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart's fourth concussion evaluation. Daboll's relentless willingness to dial up designed runs that put Dart in harm's way amid a lost campaign presumably factored into the former's firing. The play-calling was emblematic of someone fighting for his job, which proved true, albeit futile. However, health aside, Daboll has been instrumental to Dart's rapid ascension as an organizational centerpiece since replacing Russell Wilson as the Giants' starting signal-caller. You could argue that alone should've saved the 2022 Coach of the Year from getting canned, and yet, here we are.

Besides winning, Dart's development ought to be the Giants' top priority, right? He plays the most important position in football, which they've struggled to fill since franchise legend Eli Manning retired in 2020. His long-term growth is more important than any short-term success the club hoped to enjoy this season. On one hand, it's understandable why the Giants chose to part ways with Daboll. They went 20-40-1 under him; he had ample time to right the ship. But on the other hand, his tenure was only just beginning after finally getting a handpicked gunslinger to work with.

When the Giants rookie quarterback finished running and passing for touchdowns to spark an upset victory in his first career start replacing a future Hall of Famer, his embattled head coach gushed about his... Get texts from Paul Schwartz with all the latest Giants news and insights, exclusive to Sports+ subscribers. It happened on Sept. 22, 2019 — when Pat Shurmur said of Daniel Jones, “We believed in him from the day we drafted him, and first time out he didn’t disappoint” — and the postgame script from Brian... The start of the Jaxson Dart Era echoed the start of the Jones Era in ways that make you wonder whether the Giants will make certain that the two quarterbacks don’t meet the same... In the 2,198 days between those debuts, Giants co-owner John Mara said one thing that rings loudest now.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — As the clock expired on a win Brian Daboll desperately needed, the New York Giants coach grabbed rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart. With his left hand around Dart’s neck, Daboll pulled the quarterback so close that the brim of the coach’s hat got flipped up. The embrace ended with Daboll giving Dart an exuberant pat on the head. There was no hiding how important Sunday’s 21-18 win over the Chargers was to Daboll. The coach pushed his chips into the middle of the table this week by benching veteran Russell Wilson after an 0-3 start and turning the team — and his career — over to Dart.

Daboll made sure the world knew going with Dart was “my decision,” stating that phrase emphatically four times when announcing the move Wednesday. Dart has always been Daboll’s guy, with the coach telling the quarterback, “I’m banking on you” in a phone call after the Giants traded up to take the former Ole Miss star with the... With three straight dispiriting losses to start this season, and a 3-17 record since the start of last season, Daboll could feel the heat. He had run out of time to stick with any prolonged development plan for Dart while Wilson led a dormant offense. It was time to see what Dart could do. “The kid’s a competitor,” Daboll said.” I like his traits.

I like his toughness. I’m glad we got him.” Get texts from Paul Schwartz with all the latest Giants news and insights, exclusive to Sports+ subscribers. No one should be underestimating Brian Daboll’s Dilemma. He will be confronting one of those decisions that make or break a head coach’s career. Jaxson Dart will either be his Fail Safe or he won’t.

Daboll has the Jaxson Dart Card in his back pocket to play when he deems the time is right to fold on Russell Wilson.

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