Jaxson Dart's Giants Breakout Earns A Strong Response From Kurt Warner After Major Year 2 Transformation

Jaxson Dart gave the New York Giants plenty to like in their 28-20 Week 1 win over the Dallas Cowboys, but his performance also caught the attention of a quarterback who knows what it takes to run an NFL offence. Kurt Warner, a Hall of Famer and former Giants quarterback, included Dart among his top quarterback performances of the opening week. More importantly, Warner noticed a clear change from Dart's rookie season. The young quarterback looked quicker with his decisions, more settled in the pocket and more certain with his reads. That difference stood out to Warner.

Why did Kurt Warner praise Jaxson Dart after Week 1?

Warner's comments were less about Dart simply putting together a good statistical performance and more about how he played the position.

“He was probably the guy of everybody in the league that surprised me the most at how well he played in Week 1.”

That assessment carries weight because Warner had a specific comparison in mind. He felt Dart spent too much of his rookie season looking to create outside the pocket instead of trusting what he saw in front of him.

“I thought he played unbelievable. He got back, he made quick decisions. What I saw last year as a rookie, he was a guy that often times would be unsure in the pocket, he'd wanna run around and be an athlete and create, as opposed to playing the position in the pocket, seeing it and getting it out. I thought he was fabulous on Sunday night. I thought they had a great plan for him, but he was definitive with his reads.”

That distinction could matter more to the Giants than one strong opening-night result. Dart did not need to turn every play into something difficult. He got the ball out, trusted his reads and allowed the offense to function on time.

Warner also acknowledged that Dallas missed some defensive assignments. Still, he did not dismiss Dart's role in taking advantage of those mistakes.

“He got back, he threw the ball extremely well, made some great reads. Even though Dallas missed some assignments on defense, so what, you still have to see it, read it and make those plays as a quarterback.”

What does Jaxson Dart face against the Rams?

Dart now gets a very different test against the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football. He called the matchup “a great test” and stressed that execution could decide the game when two talented teams meet.

The matchup also brings the return of Aaron Donald, who is expected to play his first game since 2023. Dart said facing the three-time Defensive Player of the Year would be “really cool” and described it as a great competition.

For Dart, the Rams game offers an early chance to show that the changes Warner noticed against Dallas were not limited to one night. The Giants quarterback has already shown he can play with more patience and conviction. Now he has to repeat it.