Jaxson

Dart

Nagy landed with John Harbaugh’s team after three years as the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator and will now be charged with developing Dart in his second pro season. “When I think of Nagy with Jaxson Dart, I think of the spectacular season the new OC helped Alex Smith put together in 2017, with so many spread-offense elements baked in not just to maximize Smith but to develop Patrick Mahomes,” Breer said. “All the movement stuff the Chiefs were doing that year, in theory, should apply organically to Dart’s physical skill.” Kansas City ranked tenth in both offensive success rate and EPA per play over Nagy’s three seasons as OC. They were in line with the Dolphins and Seahawks in drop back EPA with Mahomes at the helm.

It’s quite the downgrade for Callahan after failing in his lone season at the helm in Tennessee. Callahan will now work with second-year QB Jaxson Dart to develop his game following a promising rookie season in which he threw for 15 touchdowns and five interceptions over 14 games, while rushing for another nine scores. Hopefully Callahan’s total inability to develop Cam Ward in Tennessee isn’t a harbinger of things to come for Dart and the Giants.

Nagy never worked directly with Harbaugh, but Schefter notes that Harbaugh coached under Andy Reid, who has been somewhat of a mentor to Nagy. The two have spent well over a decade together between Philadelphia and Kansas City. Reid even stumped for Nagy as a head coach this offseason. On the other hand, he just replaced Nagy, whose contract was up, with Eric Bieniemy as the team’s offensive coordinator. Nagy just spent three years in Kansas City and the team never finished better than 15th in points per game. Defenses have changed to stop teams like the Chiefs specifically, but the results speak for themselves. Perhaps the change of scenery will inject some creativity into Nagy’s offense, but we aren’t holding our breath.

John Harbaugh is expected to officially sign with the Giants later today. His refusal to move on from Monken was reportedly one of the reasons for his falling out with the Ravens. The Bucs are also interested in Monken for an OC gig. That would reunite him with Baker Mayfield after the two spent a year together in Cleveland. Of note, Jim Harbaugh also has an OC opening, though we suspect Monken will simply stick with John and head to New York. Though Lamar Jackson’s play fell off this year, Monken got an MVP season out of him and nearly picked up a second, though Josh Allen swiped the award at the final hour. The hope will be that Monken’s success with the hyper-mobile Jackson will translate to a second-year leap for Jaxson Dart. Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo would also get a boost in early drafts if Monken signs on.

McCarthy last coached the Cowboys in 2024 and has made the postseason in 12 of 18 seasons as an NFL head coach in Dallas and Green Bay. With a history of quarterback development and a QB-friendly offensive system, McCarthy would be a natural choice to develop Jaxson Dart as he enters his second NFL season. McCarthy, who has won 61 percent of his games as an NFL head coach along with 11 postseason contests, would likely be a short-term option for the Giants, one who could stabilize the situation around Dart and give him a chance to establish himself as a high-end NFL starter.

Kingsbury’s work with young quarterbacks is certainly a selling point for both the Giants and Titans after Kingsbury’s success with Jayden Daniels in 2024. Kingsbury’s Washington offense was surprisingly efficient in 2025 despite the team missing Daniels for much of the regular season. Washington’s offense in 2025 was somehow 16th in EPA per play. They were ninth in offensive success rate and 12th in yards per play, ahead of postseason teams like the Broncos, Panthers, Eagles, Chargers, Jaguars, and Steelers. Kingsbury would be a boon for either Jaxson Dart or Cam Ward in 2026 and beyond.

“From the people I’ve talked to, the consensus is that there are a lot of potential head-coaching candidates that are excited about the opportunity here because of Jaxson Dart,” Schoen said when asked about what might be appealing about the Giants head coaching vacancy after the team parted ways with Brian Daboll this season. Dart’s physicality as a runner and his refusal to run out of bounds or slide to avoid a major hit was a major concern throughout the season, as Dart suffered several brain injuries. But he was solid as a passer, completing nearly 64 percent of his pass attempts for 15 touchdowns and five interceptions over 14 games. Dart will be at the center of whatever comes next for the Giants.

While this may have been a meaningless game for the Giants on the whole, it was another opportunity for Dart to prove himself as an NFL quarterback and, more importantly, learn how to slide when he scrambles out of the pocket. Dallas sat their starters for the entirety of the second half, but Dart looked good in this one, and his development should be exciting for Giants fans. He’ll finish the season completing 216-of-339 passes for 2,273 yards with 15 touchdowns and five interceptions in 14 games. He also added 487 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on 86 carries. He did fumble the ball four times, but Dart’s rushing upside likely keeps him firmly on the QB1 radar next season with Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo healthy.

Dart bounced back from a 33-yard performance in the Week 16 loss to the Vikings to throw for 207 yards in the win over the Raiders Sunday. The 22-year-old signal caller’s future with the organization is a topic for discussion with the Giants currently in control of the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft and the team’s coaching situation in flux. While Kafka could remain the head coach next year, the Giants are said to be interested in speaking with a list of candidates that could include Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman. In a sense, an endorsement from Kafka is relatively meaningless as he doesn’t currently have much of a say in the future direction of the franchise. Dart will have one more chance to make an impression against the Cowboys in Week 18 before what’s likely to be an offseason full of changes in New York.

Dart refrained from running until the Giants’ fourth drive, in which he totaled three carries for 21 yards and one touchdown. He somehow avoided a concussion check after his 12-yard touchdown run despite getting sandwiched by two defenders as he entered the end zone. Dart ran a little more freely after that, and the Giants even called a few designed runs today, including one on a fake handoff that went for a two-yard touchdown scamper late in the fourth quarter. His passing box score leaves a little to be desired, but his connection with slot WR Wan’Dale Robinson is something to get excited about for 2026. Dart is a QB1 against the Cowboys next week.