Jaxson Dart was thrown into the spotlight as a rookie. Playing for one of the NFL‘s most scrutinized teams in one of the United States’ biggest sports markets, the New York Giants quarterback has had to learn to deal with the pressure early on in his pro football career. Dart has gotten off to a strong start in 2026GettySelected out of Ole Miss with the 25th overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft, Dart’s first career start came in Week 4 last season after Super Bowl winner and veteran signal caller Russell Wilson was benched after he had the G-Men off to an 0-3 start.The 23-year-old would play in 14 games (12 starts), where he completed 63.7 percent of his passes for 2,272 yards and 15 touchdowns to five interceptions. A dual-threat QB, Dart also rushed for an additional 487 yards, punching in nine scores.Although he had a solid debut campaign, there were some concerns that he would sometimes play recklessly, putting himself in harm’s way as evidenced by his frequent trips to the blue medical tent where he would often be evaluated for a concussion. This aspect of his game led to some, like former Giants signal caller Phil Simms, questioning whether he really had what it takes to be a franchise quarterback in the NFL. But even the greats can have a change of heart. Phil Simms impressed by Dart“I wasn’t crazy about Jaxson Dart, I will say this,” Simms said on The Post’s “Schein Time” show on Monday. “His personality, his talent, everything is much better than I expected. “The throwing — he can throw with power. He has great touch if he needs that. He’s a really good decision-maker. The players love him and he knows how to react and act with all the guys.“And that’s just one of the reasons why when he talks, they all listen. So Jaxson Dart, man, he has been a big surprise for me, how well he’s played.”Simms enjoyed a 14-year career in the NFL – all with the Giants – from 1979 to 1993, winning two Super Bowl rings and being named MVP of Super Bowl XXI. Former Giants QB Simms has been won over by DartGettyDespite initial reservations, Simms believes Dart and HC Harbaugh are a good matchGettyHaving grown fond of Dart, Simms went on to reveal that he was reluctant about the appointment of John Harbaugh as head coach following Brian Daboll’s midseason firing due to how much it could have impacted the young quarterback’s development. “I’ll tell you, I kind of worried when John Harbaugh took over. I said, ‘Man, they might not like this whole Jaxson Dart thing,'” Simms continued. “But no, it’s the opposite. They don’t like it. They love it. Because they see he’s got this personality that you want to see in your quarterback. You know, ‘Trust me. I got it.’“And I think, too — and I’ve heard John Harbaugh say it, you’ve heard it too — he’s just more talented than you think. And it’s like running, he runs faster in the NFL than he did in college. “When he puts it down, he’s slick. He just worms — works his way through there. He is a really sneaky good runner. And the arm, it is big-time NFL. No matter what you want — accuracy, power, touch — he’s got it all.”Tipped to make huge leap in Year 2Dart begun his sophomore season with a statement 28-20 victory over NFC East rivals Dallas Cowboys in Week 1, where he threw for 230 yards at a 79.3 percent completion rate, and three touchdowns.Simms has handed OC Nagy (R) a lot of credit for Dart’s start to the new seasonGettySimms is of the belief that Dart can continue to develop his game in 2026 with the help of offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, who led a Kansas City Chiefs offense fronted by Patrick Mahomes to two Super Bowl victories in 2022 and 2023. “[Offensive coordinator] Matt Nagy, man, I’ll give him a lot of credit,” Simms said. “He held back a lot of just what he wanted to do in the game with Jaxson Dart. And we kind of saw all that. “And by that I mean they really go into the intellect of the quarterback. And I don’t know if Jaxson Dart ran one play where he didn’t have to check, tell everybody, ‘Here, oh, this, that, let’s go to this play,’ and ready to go. I mean, it’s work. “And I’ve heard John Harbaugh talk about it and Matt Nagy talk about it, that he can handle it all. So they don’t worry about putting too much on his plate.”Join talkSPORT’s dedicated US Sports YouTube channel The S* Word every Tuesday and Thursday for our brand new NFL shows.On Tuesdays, Will Gavin and US senior reporter Brian T. Smith will debate the biggest talking points from the NFL weekend, while on Thursdays Efe Obada joins the crew to talk to players past and present and break down what to look for across the league.