John Harbaugh ‘Excited’ About Jaxson Dart, Building Tough Giants’ Team

John Harbaugh was introduced as the New York Giants head coach at a news conference on Tuesday afternoon. Harbaugh answered many questions from the media, including his early impressions of Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart.

John Harbaugh Evaluates Jaxson Dart

“The quarterback’s kind of important. That’s kind of a big deal,” Harbaugh said. “I’m excited about Jaxson Dart.”

Dart, who played college football at Ole Miss, was selected by the Giants with the No. 25 overall pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Dart went 4-8 as a starter during his rookie season and threw for 2,272 yards in 14 appearances with 15 passing touchdowns, five interceptions and a 63.7% completion rate. Dart, a dual-threat quarterback, also rushed for 487 yards and five touchdowns.

“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 he plays, man. 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. To me he’s about football. This young guy loves football. He wants to talk football all the time. And that’s kind of what I like doing too, so we’re gonna have a lot of great conversations and I can’t wait to get started with him.”

In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Harbaugh said that Dart’s mindset is “exactly what you’re looking for.”

“His enthusiasm and excitement for the game and for every part of football, that really got me fired up,” Harbaugh shared.

Harbaugh Discusses Vision As Giants Head Coach

The Giants hiring Harbaugh signals a need for a head coach who knows how to build a culture and has a track record of sustained success. With the Giants going 4-13 in 2025 and having a record of 14-38 over the last three seasons, Harbaugh’s vision and ideas will be welcomed with open arms.

Harbaugh, 63, spent 18 years as the Baltimore Ravens head coach and had 12 playoff appearances in that span with one Super Bowl win and 193 wins overall. The Giants have won a Super Bowl in that same period but have made the playoffs just four times since 2008.

Harbaugh is focused on toughness as he starts to shape what he envisions the Giants organization becoming.

“Now, as we begin a new chapter in New York, our focus is simple,” Harbaugh said. “It starts with building a team that is physical and tough, that’s capable of overwhelming their opponent from beginning to end, and especially the end, that understands how to finish, that is smart and disciplined and plays the game the way it should be played, and that everybody watching it, including those playing it, will be proud of.”