Jaxson Dart opens up about Brian Daboll's firing, Mike Kafka as interim coach before Giants QB's return

For the first time since early November, Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart was available to the media. He opened his Friday news conference with an opening statement that reacted to Brian Daboll's Nov. 10 firing, crediting the former New York coach's role in developing him.

"Obviously, there's been a lot that's happened since I've been up here," said Dart, who has completed 128 of 204 passes for 1,417 yards and 10 touchdown to three interceptions while adding three scores and 317 yards on 57 rushes across nine games (seven starts) in his rookie season.

"I just want to acknowledge coach Dabs and all that he did for me. Just when I look back on everything, it's really special to come to a place where a coach genuinely cares about you and loves you and you have that personal relationship on and off the field. So, I just have all the respect in the world for him.

"Think he's an incredible offensive mind. He's done an amazing job of developing me up until this point. This business is a beast, man, and give a shout out to coach Shane (Bowen) as well. Unfortunately, we just weren't able to get enough wins for them. But at the same time, I've got a lot of respect for them and coach Dabs. Who knows if I'm here without him. So, I've got all the respect and love for him."

The Giants, who fired Daboll but kept general manager Joe Schoen, traded into the first round and selected Dart with the 2025 NFL Draft's No. 25 overall pick April 23. Dart exited early in the fourth quarter of the 24-20 loss at the Chicago Bears Nov. 9 and missed the next two games but cleared concussion protocol Thursday and is set to return for the reeling Giants (2-10) at the AFC East-leading New England Patriots this coming Monday.

"It sucked," Dart said of being sidelined during Daboll's ouster and New York's subsequent two losses -- 27-20 against the Green Bay Packers Nov. 16 and 34-27 in overtime this past Sunday at the Detroit Lions. "Like I said, I have a lot of love for coach Dabs and we're really close. So, to kind of see it go down that way -- especially my rookie year -- was hard. So, I'm just trying to control what I can control -- take the next steps. But just wish we could've done more as players to get more wins for him."

With Mike Kafka elevated in Daboll's place, Dart enters Week 13 at the Patriots (10-2) under further guidance of the interim coach and new interim offensive coordinator Tim Kelly.

"Obviously, these last two weeks is just more and more communication," Dart said. "I think Kaf is one of the best coordinators in the NFL. You can look at that from a player perspective as well as statistically, number-wise -- he does a great job. So, as an offense, as a team, we have a ton of confidence in him. He's going to put us in situations to succeed."

As Dart returns, the Giants look to snap a six-game skid in New England before the Week 14 bye and four remaining games -- resuming Dec. 14 against the Washington Commanders.

"The season so far has been tough because our record could completely be flipped the other way, and everybody here's in a completely different state of mind," Dart said. "But I've just come to realize that in the NFL, if you don't make those crunch-time-moment plays and the other team does, then you're going to lose. And it doesn't matter how well you play up until the end of the game.

"So, at times, it honestly doesn't even feel real because you feel like you're in control of the entire game and somehow things just don't work. That's just the beauty of this sport is it could go one way, it could go the other way. And when you're playing at this level of competition -- especially for me, I've come to realize that it doesn't matter how well you play at all until who scores last, who has the ball last and who makes that last crucial play at the end of the game."