Eli Manning and Phil Simms know the pressure Jaxson Dart will face as the New York Giants’ presumptive future franchise quarterback.
The Giants drafted Dart with the 25th pick, trading back into the first round to make Dart the second quarterback taken in the 2025 NFL draft.
The former Corner Canyon High quarterback joined a QB room consisting of Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston and Tommy DeVito.
Both Manning and Simms also know a thing or two about NFL success. They have two Super Bowl rings each, and they recently weighed in on the rookie quarterback.
What Eli Manning said about Jaxson Dart
Manning has told Dart that he’s always available as a confidant and mentor, Manning shared with reporters Friday at a Madden 26 launch event, according to CBS Sports.
“I’ve told him, ‘Hey, I’m here to help in any way. I’m a phone call away, a text away, but I’m not getting in the way,’” he said.
Manning and Dart traveled a similar path to New York with both having come to the Giants from Ole Miss.
Manning even called Dart the night he was drafted.
“Eli’s been a huge role model of mine, even before ... I got to Ole Miss, you know, watching him beat Tom (Brady) twice. That was incredible. Then I go to Ole Miss and not only him, but the whole Manning family was great to me. Specifically, Eli was a great asset,” Dart said, per Fireside Giants.
But Manning said he is respecting Dart’s personal NFL journey — and his advice to the rookie is for him to embrace the journey.
“You got to figure out, this is your journey, this is your deal. But if there’s anything you need, happy to be here,” Manning said he told Dart.
Dart has yet to take an NFL snap, but has already impressed Manning.
“I’ve been to some practices, and I’ve known Jaxson for the last three years, since he’s been at Ole Miss and gotten to watch his career. So I’ve been just impressed with Jaxson because I’ve seen him get better every single year,” Manning said.
That progress and constant desire to improve is what teams want to see in their players, the Hall of Fame finalist added.
“It sounds like he’s doing that with the Giants. Every day, you’re going to learn something, and you’re going to make mistakes. That’s just part of it, but learning from those mistakes, not repeating those mistakes, and (it) seems like he’s just trying to be there, earn the respect of his teammates and his coaches through his hard work,” he said.
What Phil Simms said about Jaxson Dart
On Monday, Simms shared praise for Dart while on the “Up & Adams” show.
Dart and Simms haven’t met yet, but Simms said he already loves Dart’s decision-making, throwing and, most of all, his mobility.
“His mobility was just better than I was giving him credit for during the offseason as I watched all these quarterbacks. You know, (he) runs at the right time, gives the play every opportunity to have success, and when in doubt, the pressure’s too much, he can make it happen,” he said.
Simms told host Kay Adams that he thinks Dart needs to start this season.
Simms himself felt he understood the game and was ready to start after the third week of his rookie season in 1979, he said. He was named the starter a few weeks later.
Per Simms, the ideal situation for Dart and the Giants is a better start than last season. Then six to eight weeks in, the Giants need to put Dart in the game unless the team believes it can be “great” without him.
“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,” he said.