Jaxson Dart, Giants Not Attempting Many Deep Throws in Training Camp

Dan Duggan on the Giants Nation Show said that the Giants offense hasn't attempted many deep throws during camp.

Most of what's been attempted have been quick option routes, check downs, and swing passes.

The Giants enter 2026 with a new offensive coordinator, Matt Nagy. Many of the concepts Nagy has installed are much different than what Dart dealt with as a rookie in Brian Daboll's offense.

PFF had Dart with the 8th highest big-time throw rate last season. His ability to make big plays downfield, especially without Malik Nabers, was on display in 2025.

A New System for Dart

Nagy arrived this offseason as part of head coach John Harbaugh's first Giants staff. He returned to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022 and was part of back-to-back Super Bowl championship staffs there, serving as offensive coordinator from 2023 to 2025. Before that, he spent four seasons as head coach of the Chicago Bears, according to Giants.com. He also helped develop Patrick Mahomes, starting in 2017 when Mahomes was a rookie and Nagy was Kansas City's offensive coordinator.

The Giants also hired Brian Callahan, the Titans' head coach in 2024 and 2025, as passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Callahan has said the offense will keep shotgun and RPO elements that Dart is comfortable with, even as Nagy adds more snaps under center and more play action. Here's what Callahan said about Dart's role in the new offense.

What Dart Did Downfield as a Rookie

Dart, the 25th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft out of Ole Miss, played 14 games and made 12 starts as a rookie. He threw for 2,272 yards with 15 touchdowns and five interceptions, and his 1.5% interception rate was the second-lowest single-season mark in Giants history among quarterbacks with at least 325 attempts, according to his team bio.

PFF's big-time throw metric is meant to capture a quarterback's best passes, usually throws with excellent placement and timing, often farther down the field or into tight windows. Ranking near the top of the league in that category as a rookie is why the lack of deep attempts in camp has drawn attention. NFL.com also credits Dart with 25 completions of 20 or more yards in 2025.

Camp Is Not the Regular Season

Early in camp, an offense with a new coordinator is still installing its playbook, so the mix of throws in practice doesn't always reflect what a team will do on game day. The first real look comes in the preseason opener against the Minnesota Vikings at MetLife Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 15. The Giants then visit the Miami Dolphins on Aug. 22 and close the preseason against the New York Jets on Aug. 28.

Those games will show whether the short passing game is simply a camp phase or a real part of Nagy's plan for Dart in 2026.

Update: Harbaugh Weighs In

After the preseason opener, a 13-10 loss to the Vikings, Harbaugh said the Giants can push the ball downfield more and challenge defenses in the intermediate and deep areas, and that they will look to do that going forward. Read the full story here.

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