Before the New York Giants selected Jaxson Dart 25th overall in the draft, many expected the New Orleans Saints to call his name much earlier. Instead, the Saints passed on him and later chose quarterback Tyler Shough in the second round. That decision hasn’t sat well with Dart, who’s been eyeing this Sunday Night Football matchup as a chance to prove a point.
But there’s one catch: Dart has been nursing a hamstring injury leading up to the Week 5 game. The question now is whether he’ll actually get the opportunity to seek revenge on the team that overlooked him.
Will Jaxson Dart Be Ready for the Week 5 Clash Against the Saints?
Dart made his regular-season debut for the Giants last week after Russell Wilson failed to secure a win in the team’s first three games. While the rookie’s performance had its ups and downs, he did enough to deliver New York’s first victory of the season, likely cementing himself as the starter moving forward.
That debut didn’t come without concern. Dart endured a few injury scares, including a brief trip to the concussion protocol tent, before being officially diagnosed with a minor hamstring issue. Fortunately for the Giants, the injury doesn’t appear serious.
Dart was a full participant in practice from Wednesday through Friday and is expected to be under center in Week 5 against the Saints. Additionally, his fellow rookie Cam Skattebo, who was battling a knee injury, has also been cleared to play.
However, the big blow to the Giants is the loss of superstar wide receiver Malik Nabers, who sustained a season-ending ACL tear in the team’s win over the Chargers.
Dart completed just 65% of his passes for 111 yards in his debut, 20 of which went to Nabers before his injury. As expected, the second-year wideout leads the team in all receiving categories through four games this season, recording 18 receptions for 271 yards and two touchdowns, and it will be interesting to see how the offense performs in his absence.
Considering the Giants rank 29th in PFSN’s offensive impact metric, the team will have to do everything in its power to help Dart’s development in the wake of Nabers’ absence.
Dart has said he carries a chip on his shoulder heading into Sunday’s clash. With the Saints starting the season 0-4, he may have an ideal opportunity to secure a win. A victory would put him in rare company, joining the handful of Giants quarterbacks who began their careers 2-0: most recently Daniel Jones in 2019 and Danny Kanell in 1997.
