New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart has faced relentless criticism since introducing President Donald Trump at a campaign rally for Rep. Mike Lawler in Suffern, New York, on Friday.
The backlash came from all corners, including from inside his own locker room, where last year’s third overall pick, Abdul Carter, criticized his quarterback. Former New Orleans Saints defensive end Cam Jordan piled on with a post that read “sounds bout ole miss,” a dig at both Dart and his college alma mater. That’s when the Giants star’s father, Brandon Dart, jumped in to defend his son.
Jaxson Dart’s Father Takes On Cam Jordan and Giants QB’s Critics
Brandon replied to Jordan’s post by saying, “How Cute! Ignorance Is Bliss!”
Moreover, when Chris Mowrey called Jaxson “a mid-tier quarterback with very little talent” whose “arm is almost as bad as his political instincts,” Brandon replied with a single word: “BET!”
The exchange between Dart’s father and others captured a pattern that plays out every time an NFL player publicly aligns with a political figure. Whether the player is supporting the left or the right, a portion of the fanbase and media will reject the idea of athletes engaging in politics.
In Dart’s case, Trump praised the quarterback, calling him “a beautiful guy” with “legs like tree trunks” and “a future Hall of Famer.”
The locker room dimension remains the more pressing concern for New York. Carter’s public reaction to his quarterback’s political activity, however brief, isn’t the kind of alignment head coach John Harbaugh wants to be managing before the season even begins.
Harbaugh was brought in to foster a culture of toughness following an organizational collapse that led to Brian Daboll’s midseason firing and the Giants finishing 4-13 in 2025. Any rift between the franchise’s two key young players, even if based on politics rather than football, undermines that goal.
Dart’s rookie production supports the idea that the focus should be on the field. He completed 63.7% of his passes for 2,272 yards with 15 touchdown passes and just five interceptions across 14 games.
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Dart also added 487 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns, and according to PFSN’s QB Impact Metric, he posted an impact score of 76.3 last season, ranking 14th in the league.
However, the Giants may need to navigate the early portion of the schedule without top receiver Malik Nabers, who is still recovering from a torn ACL and meniscus suffered in Week 4 last season and recently underwent a second procedure to remove scar tissue. Harbaugh recognized the uncertainty regarding the former LSU star’s injury, and whether he will be available for Week 1 is still unclear.
