Jaxson Dart, Jameis Winston doing the Giants shuffle at camp
Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart smiles during training camp in East Rutherford, N.J., on Sunday. Credit: Ed Murray
Jaxson Dart hasn’t said if he can dance or not, but the Giants are making their rookie quarterback learn how to shuffle.
On Sunday, Dart started an 11-on-11 drill with the second team only to be subbed out so Jameis Winston could finish it. It was the opposite Friday; Winston started a drill, only for Dart to be thrown in.
It’s all a surprise, with neither quarterback knowing when it’ll happen until coach Brian Daboll tells them in the moment. For Dart, it’s just another part of his NFL quarterback education.
“We go into each day, you don’t know what reps you’re getting, so you have to make sure you prepare for anything and everything,” said Dart, who has mostly split second-team reps with Winston. “I think that really helps because you don’t know when your number is going to be called and you gotta be ready to ball in any situation that you’re given.”
Winston thought it was funny because it reminded him of his time with the Saints, when he would be leading a drive and get subbed out for Taysom Hill. He took the comparison one step further, noting that Dart was raised in Utah and Hill played for BYU.
“Every time I have a good drive, they’re gonna take me out and put a kid from Utah to come score a touchdown,” Winston said while chuckling. “But no, [Dart] needs those reps. He needs those red-zone reps.”
The switch-up didn’t faze Dart, who perhaps had his best day of camp Sunday. He completed more passes downfield and ended practice marching the offense before his final throw was tipped and nearly caught by fellow rookie Cam Skattebo while falling out of bounds.
Daboll said during OTAs that he likes to overwhelm young quarterbacks early before reining it in so they can learn how to process. In this case, it’s also a veteran in Winston who has to stay ready.
“Sometimes they don’t even know when they’re going in or the offensive coaches don’t know when I’m switching them either,” Daboll said. “That was a situation there at the end [on Friday] where Jameis was taking a rep and I just threw Dart in there. Try to keep the coaches on their toes and the quarterbacks so they can practice numerous situations.”
Dart doesn’t mind being uncomfortable. As a first-round pick, he has to be groomed by any means necessary. At times, he’s looked confident, especially making short to intermediate throws. Often, he’s held the ball too long and had to scramble to escape defenders.
It’s part of following a mantra that Dart hears in the quarterback room: be aggressive but not reckless. Winston also encouraged Dart by telling him to focus not on the outcome but whether or not he made the right decision.
“I tell him it’s one day at a time,” said Winston, a former No. 1 overall pick entering his 11th season. “The NFL is the only league where yesterday and tomorrow literally don’t matter.”
Dart sees shuffling in and out of drives as another way to learn how to prepare for later situations. If mistakes happen? Fine. Just use it to keep getting comfortable and appreciate the challenge.
“I don’t internalize a lot of things result-based, stats-wise,” Dart said. “I’m just trying to go out there and compete and play at the highest level.”
Ford-Wheaton: Achilles tear
Wide receiver Bryce Ford-Wheaton was carted off the field after suffering what a source confirmed was a torn Achilles. The third-year veteran collapsed during a play before getting up, spiking his helmet and falling down again after grabbing his left leg.
Ford-Wheaton missed his rookie season in 2023 with a torn ACL and had offseason shoulder surgery.
Burns, Robinson limited
Linebacker Brian Burns and wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson were on the field Sunday in limited roles after their collision Friday.
Burns did some position drills but wasn’t on the field for any full team drills.
Robinson participated in the Giants’ first 7-on-7 drills but was injured during the first 11-on-11 reps. He limped off the field and didn’t return to action but remained on the sideline.
Jalin Hyatt also returned but didn’t participate in full team drills. The wide receiver was held out Friday because of cramps and lower-body tightness.
Evan Barnes covers the Giants for Newsday. He previously covered the Brooklyn Nets, Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.
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