Jaxson Dart says Giants ‘can’t wait’ to play for John Harbaugh

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ — New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart spoke “at length” with coach John Harbaugh during the team’s courtship with the Super Bowl XLVII winner, including several times on the phone. Then, they had a long conversation during Harbaugh’s January 14 interview.

Harbaugh, who agreed to a deal at the end of the day and signed to become head coach of the Giants by the weekend, was the first choice of Dart and his teammates.

“When Coach Harbaugh’s name came up, he was the one that we were all really, really excited about and wanted to have,” Dart said in an interview with ESPN while on a family vacation. “So I think from our perspective, guys are looking forward to playing for him and getting a chance to be coached by him.”

Harbaugh was fired Jan. 6 after 18 seasons with the Baltimore Ravens. It was a nice surprise to Dart that it became available. The move allowed the Giants to pair the proven veteran coach with the talented young quarterback.

“Winning,” Dart said of his expectations working with Harbaugh. “Lots of wins. That’s it.”

Harbaugh welcomed the high expectations during his introductory press conference Tuesday, emphasizing that the goal is to earn the right to be called world champion in New York.

Dart is one of the main reasons Harbaugh thinks it’s possible and a key factor in why he came to the Giants after conducting in-depth evaluations of every quarterback on teams with coaching openings.

“Quarterback is pretty important. It’s a big deal,” Harbaugh said. “I’m excited about Jaxson Dart. … I love the way he plays. I love his talent, his skills, everything he’s accomplished, but more than that, I love who he is and what he represents. To me, he’s about football.”

Dart was also impressed. Their face-to-face meeting during Harbaugh’s interview at the team’s facility went so well that it had to be cut short because it lasted too long. A source said the conversation lasted nearly two hours.

Harbaugh’s track record in creating an environment conducive to a quarterback’s development is strong. He oversaw the development of Joe Flacco and Lamar Jackson during his time in Baltimore. That’s more than enough reason for Dart to be excited, plus the fact that Harbaugh’s teams have reached the playoffs in 12 of 18 seasons and won a Super Bowl.

“Obviously, just from a football perspective, [he has] the ability to build teams year after year that have a chance to compete at the highest level, regardless of how talented they were one year versus the next,” Dart said. “He always put his team in really good situations to win. So he’s a coach I really want to play for. And as a man too.”

Dart said he hasn’t yet spoken to Jackson, Baltimore’s two-time MVP-winning quarterback. He spoke to former Giants and Ravens wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who offered rave reviews after spending the 2023 season in Baltimore.

The Giants quarterback, who was announced Thursday as a finalist for Offensive Rookie of the Year, was upset that Harbaugh was so in love with his game. Dart had 24 touchdowns and seven turnovers during his rookie season.

“Yeah, I mean, that says a lot,” Dart said. “It says a lot just because you want to play for a coach who has confidence in you.”

Harbaugh has been busy the past few days trying to put his team together for the Giants. The belief is that he wants to bring Todd Monken with him from Baltimore as offensive coordinator to work with Dart, assuming Monken is not hired as head coach of the Cleveland Browns.

Dart said he’s been involved in “a lot of communication” regarding the coaching search, even though he’s technically still a rookie and no one is asking him who to hire.

If they had, Harbaugh would have been his definitive answer as head coach, and his meetings with the new hire only validated that belief.

“He was just a coach that I feel like I immediately bought into the things he was saying, and the way he carries himself and can conduct himself in front of a room and his track record is unbelievable,” Dart said. “So immediately, the culture of winning, the intensity, and then the enthusiasm and the love of football, that’s what he carries and brings to the team. So, I can’t wait to get started and roll with him.”