John Harbaugh immediately became one of the most coveted head coaches as soon as he became available, with several teams reportedly interested in hiring him. His long run with the Baltimore Ravens came to an end this year when they missed out on the NFL Playoffs, but it didn’t take long for him to pick a new team.
He recently credited Jaxson Dart as one of the reasons why he quickly accepted the job for the New York Giants.
John Harbaugh Praises Jaxson Dart When Discussing Decision to Become Giants HC
Harbaugh was introduced as the Giants’ next head coach in a press conference from the team’s facilities on Tuesday, ahead of the Conference Championship round of the NFL Playoffs. They were among several teams reportedly targeting him to fill their vacancy, so he essentially had plenty of options when deciding upon his future.
He was explicitly asked about Dart in relation to his decision to pick a new team, and he had plenty of praise for the rookie. Harbaugh highlighted the importance of having a top quarterback when building a winning roster and sounds extremely optimistic that he already has one in New York.
The new head coach said, “I like the way he plays. I like his talent, skillset, and all of the things that he’s accomplished. But more than that, I like who he is and what he’s about. To me, he’s about football.”
“This young guy loves football. He wants to talk football, all the time. That’s kind of what I like doing, too. So I think we’re going to have a lot of great conversations, and I can’t wait to get started with him,” stated Harbaugh.
“To me, he’s about football. This young guy loves football. He wants to talk football, all the time. That’s kind of what I like doing, too. I think we’re going to have a lot of great conversations and I can’t wait to get started with him.”
– John Harbaugh on Jaxson Dart pic.twitter.com/8SSqSrUvK8
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) January 20, 2026
The former Ravens head coach has plenty of experience working with an elite quarterback during his time in Baltimore.
Lamar Jackson won two NFL MVP awards during their time together and was consistently a playoff contender. The Giants are likely hoping he can replicate this success with Dart, who is coming off an impressive rookie season.
Dart finished among the top ten weekly quarterbacks in the PFSN NFL QB Impact Rankings six times this year, and is currently ranked 18th, despite only making 12 starts for the Giants and playing in a depleted offense.
This clearly demonstrates his upside, especially when Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo return from their injuries. It makes sense why Harbaugh, who will replace Brian Daboll, is excited to work with one of the most promising quarterback prospects in the league.
