The New York Giants weren’t expected to be contenders last season, but certainly showed a lot of promise with their young stars: wide receiver Malik Nabers, running back Cam Skattebo, and quarterback Jaxson Dart.
Unfortunately, injuries hit Nabers and Skattebo, ending both players’ seasons prematurely. That left Dart scrambling to lead the team to wins, but he finished with four wins in 14 starts in his rookie season.
With the Giants attempting to build their team into a success in the NFC, they made significant changes to their coaching staff, including firing head coach Brian Daboll.
This offseason, they hired former Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh and also brought in Matt Nagy as their new offensive coordinator. Many fans and analysts are praising both moves.
As they approach the 2026-27 season, the Giants are currently participating in Organized Team Activities (OTAs), with Dart and other players back on the field after some time off this offseason.
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While speaking with NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, Garafolo indicated it was nicer to have a bit more time this offseason than before his rookie debut, when there was a quick turnaround from college to the NFL Combine and then to the Giants’ camp and games.
“Last year was like, for sure, the longest year of my life, just going from one thing to the next. … I feel like I’ve grown a ton as a person, as a leader, as a quarterback,” he told Garofolo.
Dart was asked about his experience with the new coaches, and he said he was “really excited” to get a chance to play for Nagy, who is a “great teacher, great person, and he’s had a ton of experience.”
“I think he’s learned so much in his career so far. Just constantly trying to take in knowledge and take in coaching because he’s one of the best for sure,” Dart said.
Garfolo mentioned that Harbaugh called the “overall speed” of the team’s practice “really good” and “high energy,” and asked whether that was a credit to the new coach or to Dart establishing things.
“I think there’s a lot of things there that kind of play into that, definitely starting with him and just the culture that he’s already established and created here. I just think there’s a ton of guys that are, we’re just hungry to win. This whole organization is. Having a spark like him that comes into the building each and every day, the energy that he brings, everybody feeds off it,” Dart said.
Harbaugh certainly established a winning culture and tradition during his tenure as Ravens coach, with an overall regular-season record of 180-113. That included 12 playoff appearances while coaching from 2008 to 2025, and guiding the team to a Super Bowl win in 2012.
The Giants last appeared in the NFL Playoffs in 2023, winning their Wild Card game against the Minnesota Vikings. That was before they’d added Dart, Skattebo, or Nabers, and now new head coaches Nagy and Harbaugh, who seem committed to getting this talented team back to the postseason.
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