New York Giants legendary quarterback Phil Simms didn’t mince words when discussing the team’s potential plan to develop rookie QB Jaxson Dart during a recent appearance on the ‘Up and Adams’ podcast with Kay Adams.
In Simms’ opinion, experience is the best teacher, and getting Dart valuable on-field reps — not sitting him — in 2025 should be a priority.
“The ideal situation, and I hate to say this, I never like to ever put me in it,” Simms said. “But in 1979, I wasn’t ready to start the season. But I stood on the sideline, and after about the third game, I go, ‘You know, I kind of got it now. I really feel so much more confident, if I do get in the game and play, that I’m going to do well.’ And two weeks later, I was the starter. So the ideal situation to me, let’s not talk about playoffs and all that about the Giants, but they get off to a decent start, we see the whole team is better than it was last year…and we’re respectable.”
What is the ideal target date for Jaxson Dart to become the Giants starting QB? 🤔@heykayadams | @PhilSimmsQB pic.twitter.com/b8GqZUBWhA
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) June 2, 2025
While I get what Simms is saying, no NFL team begins the year assuming they won’t make the playoffs. In fact, the playoff landscape drastically changes every year, and a team with a defense as loaded as the Giants has every reason to begin the season with playoff optimism.
READ: Russell Wilson appears on ominous list ahead of 2025 NFL season
However, at some point, a losing streak could set in. And, sure, getting Dart on the field would make sense.
“But then there comes a point — six, seven, eight weeks into the season — then I think, unless you see that there’s an opportunity to really be great, we’ve got to find the spot to put Jaxson Dart in there and give him some experience and let him have some success and some failures. Because that’s how you grow in the NFL as a quarterback,” Simms said.
Simms went as far as to say that Dart sitting the entire season would be a “stupid thing” to do.
By Simms’ count, Dart could — and maybe should — be starting before the midseason mark, which would admittedly be a surprise, even for his strongest advocates.
Instead, I’d be more inclined to bet on Dart making his debut once the calendar flips to December. He’ll have one month to showcase his talent and, potentially, save coach Brian Daboll’s job in New York.
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