The New York Giants are set to open their preseason schedule against the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday afternoon, and the coaching staff has already settled one of the more closely watched questions surrounding the exhibition.
According to reporting from ESPN’s Jordan Raanan, the Giants starters will see action in the game, and that group includes second-year quarterback Jaxson Dart.
How long the starters remain on the field remains unclear. Still, the decision signals that the organization places real value on live repetitions before the regular season begins.
Dart started 12 games as a rookie last year, and the supporting cast around him has changed enough that additional work together makes practical sense.
Three new wide receivers—Darnell Mooney, Calvin Austin III, and Malachi Fields—have joined the roster, along with tight end Isaiah Likely and rookie right guard Francis Mauigoa. Building timing and chemistry with those pieces is difficult to accomplish solely in practice.
Dart’s first NFL season showed promise. He completed 63.7 percent of his passes for 2,272 yards, fifteen touchdowns, and five interceptions, finishing with a 91.7 passer rating. He also added 487 rushing yards and nine scores on the ground.
The dual-threat ability is part of what made him attractive as a first-round selection, yet it also created risk. Protecting himself better when he leaves the pocket has been a clear point of emphasis throughout training camp.
Last year’s Giants finished 4-13, though many of those losses were competitive against strong opponents. A few different bounces could easily have produced a more respectable win total.
Expectations for 2026 are higher, with some observers already projecting New York as a potential playoff team. That optimism must be tempered by the reality of a difficult NFC and several roster spots that still need further development. The health of wide receiver Malik Nabers remains a significant variable as well.
Preseason games rarely decide anything of lasting importance, yet they do offer a chance to evaluate how new combinations look under game conditions.
For a young quarterback still refining his craft and an offense that has undergone noticeable turnover, those early snaps carry more weight than usual.
Saturday’s contest will provide the first public look at whether Dart and the pieces around him are beginning to form the kind of cohesion that could translate once the games start to count.
