Jaxson Dart on playing the Saints after draft snub: 'Always a chip on your shoulder'
When New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart takes the field in Week 5, he'll have some extra motivation to pick up another win. Dart admitted he has a "chip" on his shoulder after the team's opponent, the New Orleans Saints, passed on him in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Dart met with the Saints multiple times during the draft process. But when the team's first-round pick came up at No. 9, it selected offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. instead.
Dart lasted until the No. 25 overall pick, when the Giants traded back into the first round to select him. The Saints responded by snagging a quarterback with their second-round pick, taking Tyler Shough at No. 40 overall.
While Dart is happy to be in New York, he still harbors some feelings about the way things went down in the draft, according to ESPN.
"There is always a chip on your shoulder any time something like that happens," Dart said of how the draft unfolded with the Saints. "But yeah, I'm just going to go out there and play as hard as I can."
If he performs as well as he did in his first start, Dart should have the Giants in a good spot. Dart was impressive in Week 4. The rookie completed 13-of-20 attempts for 111 yards and one passing touchdown. He also rushed for 54 yards and a touchdown during the outing.
That was enough to lead the Giants to their first win in 2025. It wasn't an easy matchup, either, as Dart took down the previously undefeated Los Angeles Chargers.
On paper, the Saints should be an easier matchup. The team sits at 0-4 through four weeks and hasn't gotten things moving on offense. With Spencer Rattler under center, the Saints rank 28th in points scored. Despite those struggles, Shough has yet to see the field. The team is even worse on defense, where it ranks 30th in points allowed.
That should set up Dart for a nice revenge game in Week 5. While going out and putting up a strong statistical performance would likely be cathartic for Dart, merely leading the Giants to another win should be satisfying enough for the rookie.