Jaxson Dart was noticeably absent when the New York Giants officially introduced John Harbaugh as their new head coach on Tuesday, and it didn’t take long for questions to pop up.
The Giants’ young quarterback had been deeply involved behind the scenes during the franchise’s pursuit of Harbaugh, even sitting in on meetings between the team’s front office and the veteran coach. As the organization’s centerpiece under center, Dart was viewed as a major factor in Harbaugh’s decision to join the New York franchise.
That choice didn’t come lightly. Harbaugh had just wrapped up an 18-year run with the Baltimore Ravens after the team missed the playoffs for the first time in four seasons. Once he became available, several teams quickly emerged as possible destinations, including the Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns, Tennessee Titans and Las Vegas Raiders.
In the end, Harbaugh opted for the Giants … and the chance to work with Dart.
Despite missing the public unveiling, Dart made it clear there’s no lack of excitement about the partnership.
Jaxson Dart’s Giants Absence Explained
Speaking with ESPN’s Jordan Raanan, the former Ole Miss standout shared that he and Harbaugh have already spent plenty of time talking, both over the phone and in person.
When asked what he expects from this new chapter in New York, Dart didn’t overthink it.
“Winning! Whole lot of winning. That’s it,” Dart stated.
Raanan also cleared up the mystery behind Dart’s absence from the press conference. According to the report, the 22-year-old quarterback is currently on a family vacation celebrating his grandmother’s birthday, a personal commitment that kept him away from the event.
Harbaugh, for his part, didn’t seem bothered. In fact, the new Giants head coach had nothing but praise for his quarterback during his introductory remarks.
“It starts with the quarterback for sure,” Harbaugh said. “You build your team around your quarterback. You build your team around your players and what they do well.
“I like the way (Dart) plays. I like his talent, skill set, all the things he’s accomplished, but more than that, I like who he is and what he’s about. He’s about football. This young guy loves football. He wants to talk football all the time and that’s what I like doing too.”
Dart appeared in 14 games as a rookie, starting 12 of them. He completed 216 of 339 passes (63.7%) for 2,272 yards and 15 touchdowns against five interceptions, while also adding a strong rushing element with 487 yards and nine scores on the ground.
The Giants finished 4-8 in games Dart started during the 2025 season, but expectations are clearly shifting. With Harbaugh now leading the way, New York is banking on major growth and far more wins in Year 2 of the Dart era.
