The New York Giants and quarterback **Jaxson Dart** know that the second year pro needs to avoid some of the big hits he took last season. But Giants head coach John Harbaugh made clear [**they won’t handcuff Dart by taking the quarterback run game away from him**](/new-york-giants-news/165282/john-harbaugh-wont-take-qb-run-game-away-from-jaxson-dart).
Harbaugh is, of course, familiar with the dangers presented by a running quarterback — both to the opposition and to your own team. He saw both sides while coaching Lamar Jackson. He realizes “things can happen out there” even if a quarterback tries to protect himself.
> “Jaxson is a guy that does give you a chance to live in all those different worlds,” said Harbaugh [during a recent appearance on ‘The Dominique Foxworth Show.](https://www.nfl.com/news/giants-john-harbaugh-not-worried-about-jaxson-dart-protecting-himself) “So, if he can do it, then we’re gonna do it, and that’s what we’re planning on doing.”
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> “But I do think playing the game in a way that respects that there are other guys out there that are capable of doing damage to you when you have the ball in your hands, especially for the quarterback, is important. I trust that Jaxson Dart understands that.”
> Can Matt Nagy develop Jaxson Dart into a talented NFL quarterback? Nagy landed the Giants’ offensive coordinator job thanks largely to the success he achieved in two stints with the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes. New head coach John Harbaugh and Giants brass believe they have a promising prospect in Dart, who went 4-8 as a starter last season but remains very raw.
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> Nagy must help Dart improve his accuracy and decision-making while also helping him learn how to find balance when it comes to using his legs to make plays and putting himself in harm’s way. Nagy’s ability to position Dart for success hinges largely on the health of Malik Nabers, who continues to rehab from an ACL tear that required surgery and robbed him of 13 games last season. Without the team’s go-to receiver, Nagy will have to work even harder to create high-percentage throwing opportunities despite working with a collection of receivers who lack game-changing ability.
> Running back Cam Skattebo and wide receiver Malik Nabers are both coming off of season-ending injuries and Skattebo was further along when the team wrapped up their offseason program. During an appearance on The Domonique Foxworth Show, Harbaugh said that remains the case and that Skattebo’s ankle should be well enough for him to be working in the first days of training camp. The timeline for Nabers isn’t as clear, but Harbaugh said the wideout is “not far behind” his teammate.
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> “They’re doing well,” Harbaugh said. “They’re both rehabbing every day, working super hard. I would say they’re on schedule. People hear that, and they’re like, ‘Well, what does that mean?’ It’s like, well, ‘I don’t really know because nobody knows. They’re doing well, and they’re getting better every day. I feel like Skatt will be ready early on in camp, really quick. And then Malik will be working his way into practice as camp gets started one way or another. To what degree, we will find out. There’s a lot of optimism about both those two guys right now.”
> The Giants signed Isaiah Likely to be an offensive weapon in their offense for Jaxson Dart. He’s being paid $40 million over the next three seasons for potential, not production - yet. Likely’s presence changes how the Giants will play schematically. He could see a lot of time in the slot with teammate Theo Johnson in the traditional tight end role. The 6-foot-4, 241-pound Likely had a down season in 2025, catching only 27 passes for 307 yards and a touchdown.
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> Those aren’t numbers that would typically generate a huge contract in free agency, but it’s clear Harbaugh wanted the player in this offense. Two years ago, prior to the foot injury that dogged him last season, Likely caught 42 passes for 477 yards and six touchdowns.
> This hard work he is putting his team through in July and August is a test, a vetting a process of who belongs, a gauntlet thrown down at the feet of the players: How much are you willing to sacrifice for the good of the whole? How much do you love football and not just the fame and endorsements that come with it? The workload will be a wakeup call for a lot of the Giants’ players, including those who already work hard but still don’t work as hard as Harbaugh will work them.
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> The big picture here is that Harbaugh is trying to build something special and sustainable. He has ownership’s blessing to do what he sees fit to accomplish that. And that’s going to mean some discomfort in July and August — and probably throughout the fall. But it will be done for a purpose: To get this franchise back on track.
> New York remains as perhaps the largest unknown commodity in the NFC. The Giants swung big in the offseason, luring John Harbaugh from his newfound unemployment back to work with a new team, bringing in a veteran coach with an established reputation of professionalism and success. With Harbaugh came a flood of veterans: Shelby Harris and D.J. Reader up front, Tremaine Edmunds at linebacker and Greg Newsome II at corner (as well as nearly a dozen additional defensive vets). The Giants also landed Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese in the first round, aiming to rebuild the unit into a strong enough group to properly complement an offense that will be led by second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart -- if he can stay healthy. A collection of new faces arrived on that side of the ball, too, including tight end Isaiah Likely, former Ravens fullback Patrick Ricard and receivers Calvin Austin III, Darnell Mooney and JuJu Smith-Schuster. Oh, Odell Beckham is back in the NFL and wearing a Giants uniform again, too. See how unusual things are with the Giants right now? We’ll see if they can make noise, or if they’ll continue to linger at the bottom of the division.
> New York Giants: Trade CB Deonte Banks for a late 2027 pick The Giants may not be eager to trade a recent first-round pick for a Day 3 selection. However, Banks is unlikely to regain a starting role in the secondary. Big Blue signed Greg Newsome II and drafted Colton Hood in the second round this year.
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> Last offseason, Banks lost a starting job on the boundary and played a bigger role on special teams. He returned a kick for a touchdown in Week 17 against the Las Vegas Raiders. As the Giants turn the page on his days as a starter, another team may show interest in giving him a second opportunity to compete for a lead position.
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