Jameis Winston Hails Jaxson Dart and John Harbaugh as Giants Eye Super Bowl

The New York Giants enter a new era with quarterback Jaxson Dart and head coach John Harbaugh, generating excitement among players including veteran Jameis Winston.

The team has endured a tough stretch since winning Super Bowl XLVI. They posted just two winning seasons above .500 in that span. After reaching the playoffs in 2022, they went 13-38 since.

Winston sees Dart as a key to escaping a drought reminiscent of the franchise's dry spell from 1964 to 1980. The veteran backup expects to play only if Dart is injured but remains impressed.

"It’s exciting, man. Every time I’m in the meeting room with him and watching some of his clips from last year, it kind of reminds me of myself, because he’s tough, he’s fearless, and he has this aura about him that allows everybody on our team to get behind him and support him. It’s pretty cool," Winston said of Dart.

"When I was coming into the league young, everything was more traditional. To see him running the way that he runs and being as decisive in the passing game as he is, it really shows how the evolution of football has changed. ... Jaxson is just electric, and that’s what fans want to see. Fans are tired of seeing boring quarterback play. Even though some of that correlates to winning, when you’re able to do both, it really elevates the organization and your football team."

The Giants fired Brian Daboll during the season and hired Harbaugh, who spent 18 seasons with the Baltimore Ravens. Winston welcomed the move.

"I was looking at what coach Mike Tomlin was going to do, what coach John Harbaugh was going to do, I got a chance to play for Kevin Stefanski in Cleveland, and I know how passionate the AFC North is, so I knew we were going to be in good hands regardless," Winston said.

Winston knows Giants history well. He admires Harbaugh's style.

"I’ve always admired Coach Harbaugh. When you look at the New York Giants’ history, they’ve won with head coaches who facilitated great coaches around them — strong leaders with an old-school mentality. Bill Parcells is old school of the old school — he created a mold for NFL head coaches. Tom Coughlin is as old school as it gets, the epitome of a great leader. That’s what I wanted."

"I was so happy when we hired John Harbaugh," he added. "I was excited because I felt like he gets it. He understands empowering players and coaches. Having someone who understands the importance of building the best possible team — coaching staff, players, personnel — is exciting. I’m happy that John brought his mojo to the New York Giants. We’re going to rock with him, fight for him, and win some football games — that’s the most important thing."

Winston sets high goals for the Dart-Harbaugh duo.

"We can win the Super Bowl. We can be in LA playing for Super Bowl LXI. That’s the minimum, that’s what we’re aiming for," he said. "But that comes with elite preparation, consistent day-in and day-out dedication, hard work, and patience. It doesn’t happen in just one day, but what you do each day adds up to the outcome we want. I’m very happy with the approach we’ve had. But we’re going to win the Super Bowl. I hope you don’t take that as counting my chickens before they hatch, but what else should I say? I want us to win a Super Bowl, and we can do it."