Dart: Harbaugh is ‘the best’

Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart joins Mike Florio and Chris Simms to discuss his play style, what new head coach John Harbaugh brings to New York and more.

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Video Transcript

Third down and eight.

Dart, he can run.

Can he ever!

He can run all the way to the end zone.

Touchdown.

Interesting formation.

Dart, is he gonna take off again?

He might have to, but no, he finds an open man and hits him.

Robinson stays in bounds.

Robinson's gonna go all the way for a touchdown.

35 yards.

Whoa!

This is just backyard football.

This is what Jaxson Dart does so well, because he stays so calm.

That was during the regular season on a Thursday night.

I know Chris was there to see this guy.

Where's the chain that you had on during that game?

I know.

I sh- I should be wearing it right now.

It's actually just back, back home.

I'm only really wearing the chain during games, so it's not like my- It's just a game thing.

Game day thing.

The G-Man!

You don't have the chain to take away from the jacket.

That's the key.

The jacket's sick.

The Pepsi jacket's awesome.

The jacket is sick.

Yeah, shout out to Pepsi Zero Sugar- Right ... with the jacket.

They knew your style.

We should, we should have the bear here somewhere, but- Oh, he's coming, don't worry.

The bear's- He's coming.

The bear's gonna show up.

He's coming.

By the way, it's Jaxson Dart.

If you didn't already know, I mean, if you didn't already know- Have you- Have you not been paying attention to the NFL?

It's mother freaking Jaxson Dart, baby!

It's Jaxson Dart, the Giants quarterback.

The G-Man.

Yeah, I gotta listen to this guy all the time.

Sorry, London.

Uh- Thanks ... how do you feel after one year in the NFL?

Geez, I feel like this year was a whirlwind.

I feel like I lived, like, three years in one.

You bet.

but no, I, I'm, I'm blessed to be where I'm at.

Excited for the future, and, this is just the start, so can't, can't wait to get started.

I just wanna thank you- Yeah ... because I only get to go to maybe one game a year, right?

Yeah, 'cause I work on the weekends doing games.

Yeah.

So Thursday night, that was the game I got to go to, right?

Yeah.

And it was one of the funnest nights of the year for me, right?

So that was awesome.

Good.

I got to talk so much crap to Eagles fans that night- ... right, because they were always killing me.

It was a great night.

It was a great night.

It was a great night.

So I just wanna thank you for that- Oh, absolutely ... on behalf of the whole Simms family.

No, appreciate you guys.

'Cause we were all there.

Appreciate you guys.

The boys were rolling that night.

It was, it was a good Thursday.

Definitely.

So, like, you know, you talked about it, the year, it's crazy.

You're a rookie, you're, you know, a budding superstar and all that.

Give me the, the toughest things to adjust to in the NFL as a quarterback.

I would probably say, you know, the edge rushers on the outside.

Yeah.

you know, making sure that you're always stepping up in the pocket, so being pocket friendly for the tackles is something that you have to be really mindful of.

Right.

and I would just say the guys in the back end, like, every throw is contested.

So you gotta be pinpoint, and, you gotta be on time.

So I think that those things, you know, you just gotta continue to work on.

We got the bear in the back.

The bear's back there.

The bear's back there.

Yeah, yeah.

He's acting like he's not paying attention.

No doubt.

The Pepsi bear.

You know, it's funny, it's been almost a year ago that we were in this same configuration, probably at the same desk.

You were sitting there at the scouting combine, we were here.

The bear's back.

what's one thing that you wish you would've known then at the scouting combine that you've learned in the past year?

Geez, I mean, there's countless things.

It's really hard to kind of just pinpoint, one.

I think, like, the biggest thing that I've, I've tried to learn is just patience.

you know, through that time of the draft prep, like- ... you have no idea what's going on- Yeah ... and, and kind of how things are gonna play out.

and especially, like, this season, you know, there was a lot of adversity kind of thrown with, you know, guys getting banged up.

you know- The coach being fired ... having coach- Right?

Coach being fired.

Yeah.

there was a lot of things that you just had to continue to, to try to get over and, and work through.

So, I think the biggest thing is just trying not to figure everything out just like this, like instant gratification.

Just have patience and, you know, just continue to stay process-driven as much as you can.

See, it's good- And, and he's shown, he's shown his focus.

Well, you see the pocket presence right there?

Yeah, yeah, nice.

He just, like, he looks over- There's a lot of things going on there ... he's like, "Okay, I gotta read the coverage downfield.

There- oh, so what, there's a polar bear on me.

No big deal."

And that's why he's the quarterback of the Giants.

That's why we're looking good over here.

All right, off of that, just because, you know, I grew up in the area, and my dad did the same job you did for a while- Yeah ... what's it been like adjusting to New York and the city life and all that, and just being in the, you know, the Tri-State Area, as they call it?

Yeah, I've loved it.

I've loved it.

It's a great place to be.

I think just as a competitor, you wanna be at the top of the mountain.

You wanna be in the biggest city under the brightest lights and, do all that you can to win, in those environments.

So I think for me, it's just something that I've always dreamed of, and, I think, you know, like I said, as a competitor, there's not a better place to be and, and to chasing the, the, the big one.

You living in Jersey or are you living in the city, or are you- I live in Jersey.

You live in Jersey?

I live in Jersey.

All right, Jersey.

So we gotta give a shout-out to, you know, New Jersey.

Yeah, good old Jersey, baby.

For sure.

Yeah, yeah, people sleep on it.

Yeah.

They don't know how good it is.

Hey, Jaxson, what was the toughest part of going through a coaching change during your first season?

I kind of, you know, relate it back to my freshman year in college a little bit.

I went through something very similar.

it's not easy, especially, you know, 'cause I had a lot of love for I still have a lot of love for Coach Dabes, and, you know, I just think that, you know, when you have somebody who believes in you, who instills, you know, a lot of confidence and, and puts, you know, situations that are good around you, you know, you, you wanna play good for that, for that person.

And as, as a team, you know, we didn't do enough.

but it was definitely hard.

You know, there was a lot of things that just kind of happened from then on, where, you know, we're just kind of scrambling and trying to figure things to, to put it on the right track to finish the year out the right way.

But I felt like as a group, as, as, as guys, you know, we stuck together, and even though that our record wasn't what it should be, you know, we, we, we had each other's back, and I think that that was important.

You Well, you brought the team together, man.

That's what a great quarterback does, right?

You give them belief.

You have obviously a little magic about you, and your charisma that's very apparent to see even when you're around you.

So I'm sure the locker room felt that, so that's a credit to you, man.

Appreciate that.

No doubt about that.

All right, so let's get into s- I wanna ask you about the Patriots, 'cause you played them.

Yeah.

But before we get there, when you played the Patriots, you got hit so hard- ... that you bounced on the ground- ... and bounced back up.

You see how fast I got up?

Because you bounced.

Nobody talks about that.

I, I talked about it- All right ... 'cause you're my quarterback, and I was like, "I don't want my quarterback bouncing off the ground anymore."

Yeah, yeah, yeah, no, me too.

Right?

Let's not show the replay of that.

Oh, okay, right?

Let's not.

I w- I wish we could.

Yeah.

But, but either way, right?

I mean, I know you're gonna keep playing the way you're gonna play.

Yeah.

But- we gotta be a little careful, right?

Yeah.

So, so what are you, what are you gonna try to say to yourself through this off-season to kinda maybe just slide a step earlier or whatever this year?

Yeah, I think, I think it's just really situation-based.

Right.

And I think that, you know, those experiences are good learning experiences for me, and, you know, just being able to, to kinda understand, like, you know, the best ab- ability is availability.

And you hear that all the time, so I also wanna point this out, because there's a lot of narrative- Yeah ... about this.

Like, I've played big-time football for the past four or five years of my life, and I've only missed two games.

Yeah.

So if you can count on somebody being out there, it's me.

but I think, you know, like you said, like, just, you know, making sure it's situation-based.

Like, if that's a third down or fourth down, you gotta go get it for your team.

You gotta do it.

I hear you there.

But first and second down, just be smarter and, you know, make sure that you're doing all you can to, to put your best display on the field for your team and, and for everybody in the organization.

How hard is it, though, when you're in that moment, to set aside just basic competitive desire and say, "No, I know the smart thing to do is step out of bounds, or slide, or throw the ball away," or whatever- Yeah ... when you're trying to make something happen, regardless of what the circumstance is?

Yeah, I think that, you know, you've played the game, a similar way your whole entire life, so I think that when you get to a certain level, you know, the guys in the league are a little bit bigger, they're a little bit stronger, they hit a little bit harder.

So like, like we talked about earlier, like, I'm not gonna change the way that I play.

I'm just gonna continue to grow and mature, and be smarter, and just situational-based.

But, like, I'm a competitor, so if it's gonna take me one yard to get it in a crucial situation, like, I'm gonna, you know, do whatever I gotta do for my team to go get that first down.

And, so I'm just gonna continue to learn, continue to grow.

I feel like I did a lot better job of it the, the back half of the year, and- Right ... you know, my, I came out clean this year and my body feels good, so I'm excited to get this off-season, get things ro- rolling again.

Yeah, I mean, we I mean, that, that, those are the things, that's why you're here with Pepsi Zero, the Zero Sugar, to be the NFL Rookie of the Year, is 'cause you do stuff like that.

I mean, that, that's what's special.

You're, you're, you're I guess the, my biggest thing with you, I, I just was so impressed with your backyard ability, your instincts to just extend plays.

I feel like you even did it more in the NFL than you did in college, right?

Yeah.

I mean, was it something conscience, or did Brian Daboll bring it out of you, or it just kinda happened that way?

Yeah, I think that there's a few things.

I think that, you know, when you have, like, an offensive line who did an amazing job this year, just competing, like, through the whistle.

Like, there was a lot of times where I'm making movements in the, in the pocket, where a lot of guys on the offensive line would kinda just slow down, 'cause they don't really know what's going on.

But they fought through the whistle, so it was able to give me a little bit of more time to make plays.

And, so I give a ton of credit to those guys just keeping it alive.

And I just think for me, you know, I, I try to have the mindset of the play's never dead.

And, you know, sometimes in the league, like, everything's gonna be blanketed.

Not everything, but at times, things are gonna be blanketed- Yeah, yeah ... you gotta make a play, so.

Right.

you know, just trying to keep it alive, and, and I had guys who did a great job of staying alive in scramble drills to, to kind of extend those plays.

John Harbaugh was the one coaching candidate every team, I think, wanted, including teams that hadn't fired their head coaches, they wanted to get a shot at John Harbaugh.

The Giants got him.

What's been your impression of him so far?

He's the best.

I'm excited, I can't wait to get rolling with him.

I just think that he's, he's a man of faith, he's a man that can create a great culture, and I think he's just well-respected, you know, far beyond of just, you know, the teams that he's coached.

Everybody that knows him or have been around him, from a league standpoint, everybody respects him.

So, like you said, when his name got out there, I think everybody in our organization wanted to, to play for him, so we couldn't be happier and, and, and go to war for him.

The fashion.

Yeah.

I mean, you- well, I mean, whatever you got on for pants here, you're cool.

you're just- you're cooler than me, 'cause I wouldn't wear that.

No, you got a low bar.

It's a little bit.

You got a little bit on.

But, but you I mean, so where I know mom picks out outfits on game day, right?

Yeah, she helps me with it.

Right, she helps you with it?

Yeah.

And then are you starting to take advantage of some of the good shopping in New York City and some of that stuff?

I mean, I can't say no to it.

I gotta stay away from it as much as I can.

Yeah, 'cause you're spending too much money on it.

I mean, it's addicting to get out there.

It is, I hear you.

There's a lot of great stuff, and it's, you know, the fashion place of our country, so.

Right.

you know, it's, it's fun.

It's a cool thing in between me and my mom, to just kinda have that bond and, and that relationship to, you know, put pieces together- Yeah ... and kinda be creative.

I know that she loves it, and I love it, too.

So it's just a cool way to express, you know, every time that I have an opportunity to.

It's very cool.

It's cool that you embrace it, because I'm sure when guys in the locker room heard Mommy dresses you- ... they might have been like, gave you some crap.

Or maybe they did!

What's funny is, is they're asking, like, "Can your mom- Dress me?

... you know, help us put a, put a few things together, too?"

Well, see, the world's changed.

Like, that would never go down in 2002 when I was drafted in the NFL.

Yeah.

They'd have been like, "What, Sims?"

I mean, Warren Sapp would've been like, "Sims, you wimp, your mom's dressing you!"

He'd have said something like that, right?

Yeah.

Now you guys are cool and don't even care about stuff like that.

All right, back to football.

All right.

The, the most important relationship that you're gonna have on the coaching staff is with the new offensive coordinator, Matt Nagy, because John Harbaugh's background is special teams and defense.

Have you talked to Coach Nagy, and what do you anticipate going forward with your ongoing development under his tutelage?

Yeah, I'm hyped.

I'm hyped to play for Coach Nags.

you know, everybody that I've talked to in my conversations with him have been, you know, really good.

And, you know, I know that every guy that's played for him has a ton of really good things to say about him.

So I can't wait to have that opportunity to grow a relationship with him.

you know, he's, he's awesome of just being able to, to collaborate with your q- with his quarterbacks, and, and creating a great offense.

So, I'm excited to have that communication and, and to take those steps to, to winning a lot of football games and being a lot of successful with him.

Who are the other NFL quarterbacks you have a relationship with, and that you talk to, text with, whatever?

Just, you know, keep in touch with.

'Cause you're competitors on one hand- Yeah ... but on the other hand, you know, you're all in th- this together.

Yeah, absolutely.

I think it's, it's a I mean, you guys know how it is.

Like, it's a unique world to be in.

Mm-hmm.

there's only so many people who can really understand what you go through on a- Right ... on a yearly basis, on a daily basis, from a schedule and habit standpoint, especially for the quarterback position, 'cause it's just different than every other.

so I've had a unique, experience of just being with, like, my quarterback group right now, and, 3DQB, and, and, and training with guys like Jayden, Jalen, Dak, Jared, Matt.

you know, there's a lot of guys who- CJ, who are all there working.

And, and so you're constantly around those guys, and just listening to advice.

And, you know, I was around that when I was, you know, young in college, so just hearing, like, their experiences.

I remember I was out there snapping balls for Matt Ryan, and just listening about his process, and his work ethic, and kind of how he envisioned success, and how he's able to make adjustments, you know, mid-play or at the line of scrimmage.

And just hearing that communication just out, when he's the only quarterback out there on the field with no offensive line.

So I think just getting those reps and being around those guys is definitely beneficial.

Do you You haven't talked to Mahomes about Matt Nagy, have you?

I have.

You have?

Yeah, yeah.

Good, good.

So- That, that's the best one to talk to right there.

Yeah, you have to.

So, you know, I'm gonna continue to have more conversations with him coming up- Right ... shortly, obviously, 'cause all this just happened, like- Yeah ... what, a day ago, so.

Yeah, right.

yeah, I'm excited to just chop it up with Pat, and he's been great.

You know, I've had a few conversations with him.

That's the man.

Pepsi Zero Sugar- Yeah ... NFL Rookie of the Year finalist, Jaxson Dart.

The polar bear overtook part of the interview, so- ... that's the plug.

Jaxson, congratulations on your rookie season.

All the best going forward.

We will be rooting for you.

Yeah, I appreciate you guys.

You know it.

You're gonna be the first number six to go to the Super Bowl.

Jaxson Dart.

Let's go, baby.

You know that?

Let's go.

That's what you're gonna be.

No doubt about it.

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