Jaxson Dart wasted no time making an impact with the New York Giants. In his first NFL start, the rookie quarterback snapped the team’s 0-3 losing streak and ended the Los Angeles Chargers’ undefeated run, instantly earning the spotlight.
It wasn’t only Jaxson who drew attention that night as his mother, Kara Dart, was frequently featured on the broadcast, and her heartfelt reactions quickly went viral on social media. After the win, Jaxson shared an emotional hug with her, sparking curiosity among fans about the proud mom cheering him on.
Who Is Jaxson Dart’s Mom Kara Dart?
Jaxson was born to Brandon and Kara Dart on May 13, 2000, in Kaysville, Utah. Both parents hail from Utah and were athletes in their youth, with Brandon playing college football just like his son. Their mutual passion for sports has played a key role in shaping Jaxson’s growth and success as a quarterback.
Kara attended Weber High School in Pleasant View, where she excelled as a two-time all-state basketball player while competing in track and volleyball. Today, she shares her passion for health and fitness through her Instagram, posting workout routines and glimpses of her active lifestyle. She has even competed in marathon races, highlighting her love for athletics.
While Brandon’s college football experience at the University of Utah ignited Jaxson’s passion for the game, Kara has been just as influential, providing unwavering support, guidance, and occasionally delivering some tough-love feedback.
Recalling one memorable moment at home, Brandon once shared, “I just remember walking in the house and [Brandon] at the kitchen table and she’s kind of giving it to him, like, ‘Jax, you had a chance at that point in time to blow that dude up. We don’t take the easy way out.’ And he’s kind of sitting there like, ‘Okay mom, okay, okay.’ ”
Jaxson has also spoken about Kara’s pregame encouragement and her unique way of keeping him grounded. In August 2024, he told GQ, “When I’m walking through the Walk of Champions, I’ll go see her, give her a hug, and she’ll try to hype me up. But after every little interaction, she always reminds me to slide. That’s her go-to every single time. If she thinks I didn’t hear it when I walk away, she’ll make sure to scream it even louder.”
Kara’s support extends beyond football, she also helps keep Jaxson sharp off the field, guiding him with style and fashion choices, something he’s come to deeply appreciate.
“My mom’s into it, and she’s done a great job of letting me choose and find things that I like and just giving me options. At the same time, it’s just something that I’ve come to really love and to express myself in different ways…I’ve relied on her for a lot of things in the fashion world,” Jaxson said. “At the same time, I think she gives great input.”
While Jaxson’s debut has sparked new hope in New York, the Giants suffered a significant setback with star receiver Malik Nabers suffering a season-ending injury. They also lost in Week 5 to the New Orleans Saints, and the road to a playoff push will be challenging. However, if Dart keeps shining like he did in Week 4, Giants fans’ support will grow, and so will the pride and love from his biggest supporter, Kara.
Fantasy Outlook for Giants-Eagles
Jalen Hurts
That’s now three straight multi-TD pass games for Jalen Hurts, a nice spike in production with his right arm after not throwing a single touchdown pass through the first two weeks of the season, but the rushing production disappeared into thin air on Sunday.
Two carries. Three yards. This season, 44.3% of his rushing fantasy points have come when the Eagles are inside the opponents’ five-yard line, and while those snaps are valuable, it’s no lock that you’re getting a ton of those snaps in any given game.
As a fantasy option, I really don’t think there’s anything to worry about. Yes, when the rushing dries up, it’s scary, but the fact that 27 of his 37 targets (73%) against the Broncos went to one of his top three pass catchers suggests we have enough paths to points to be comfortable with Hurts maintaining his Tier 1 title.
In his lone game against these G-Men last season, he completed 10-of-14 passes for 114 yards and a score while also rushing in a pair of touchdowns. He’s my QB2 this week, and I think you’re starting your Week 6 with a big number on Thursday.
Jaxson Dart
Jaxson Dart has moxie, and that’s great, but we aren’t yet at the point where I’m willing to translate it to fantasy points. The rushing is great, but the passing is limited. Dart has thrown 60 passes this season and, despite the freedom of movement rules, he doesn’t have a 20-yard completion.
In many situations, I’d write that off as a weird variance, but with Malik Nabers out for the season and limited big-play threats filling that void, I fear it’s set to be a trend, not a weird blip.
I think we are laying the groundwork for a huge 2026 season. Games like Sunday, where the rookie funnels 6-7 targets to four different players, are good stepping stones. They encourage us about his willingness to take what is given to him and move the chains. I’m ultra-impressed by this profile but I don’t like how his floor/ceiling projections line up for the second half of this season and certainly not in this matchup.
Saquon Barkley
Everything worked away from Saquon Barkley last week against the Broncos. Philadelphia had the ball for less than 26 minutes, couldn’t extend drives (two-of-11 on third down), and nearly half (48.6%) of Jalen Hurts’ targets went to his top two receivers.
That’s the world in which Barkley can fail. That’s the hyper-niche situation where one of the premier talents in this game can fall flat. It didn’t happen. He scored from 47 yards out on a pass, his first 20-yard gain of the season and a reminder of what he was doing weekly just a season ago.
I talked about it last week, and I’m not moving off of it: I’m just as in on Barkley’s profile now as I was two months ago. He’s caught 17 passes already (33 last season), and I trust the efficiency on the ground to recover, something that would put him back in the top five discussion at the position.
There is some “general soreness” for Philly’s bellcow entering this short week, so make sure you’re by your phone as we near kickoff, but as long as he plays, you play him and feel great about it.
Cam Skattebo
It doesn’t have to be complicated. Cam Skattebo runs as hard as anyone, has holes open up thanks to a versatile QB, and has soft hands (18 catches on 22 targets this season).
I understand that this offensive environment isn’t as friendly as most, but it’s a concentrated unit that prioritizes giving its young pieces valuable reps.
This is a difficult matchup, and while efficiency could be an issue, I’m not worried about the bottom line. Skattebo is a script-proof back, and that’s going to land him safely inside of my top 20 every single week moving forward.
A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith
There is one receiver with more than one game of 8+ targets and under 45 receiving yards this season, and it’s A.J. Brown.
With three.
The drama is high in the City of Brotherly Love after the Eagles lost their first game of the season. There was a bomb where it looked like Brown may have stopped a bit early on the route, a highlight that is making the rounds, given the posts he’s had recently across his platforms.
He still impacted the game, just not so much in the box score. The Broncos elected to put Patrick Surtain on him, and that opened up DeVonta Smith for his best game of this season. Brown even got the better of a matchup with the reigning DPOY in a spot, but it resulted in a penalty that eventually yielded a Dallas Goedert two-yard score.
We don’t get points for that, but the Eagles did, and that’s a start. Throwing in Brown’s direction resulted in a positive play for the offense, and I hope that carries over into a matchup that was Brown-centric in 2021.
Against the G-Men last year, Brown scored from 41 yards out and was responsible for 89 of his 114 passing yards. I think I speak for the entire community in saying that we would take that in a heartbeat right now.
We did see Brown round into form when it mattered most last season (a touchdown in each of his final three regular-season games before scoring in both the NFC Title game and Super Bowl), and that’s the hope here.
There’s really nothing you can do. You’re not selling him for pennies on the dollar, and you’re not benching him for a Calvin Ridley type that gets more targets, but from a very questionable source. You made your bed, and you’re sleeping in it. If you want out of the Eagles’ passing game, make a note of it before your 2026 draft, but for now, you’re not committed and will ride this out.
As for Smith, I struggle to say anything is truly “sticky” when it comes to this Philadelphia passing attack, if for no other reason than we are dealing with small sample size issues every week. That said, I liked what I saw from Smith against the Broncos on Sunday.
The 8-114-0 stat line is nice, but how about a season-high slot route rate (66.7%)? How about seeing eight of 10 targets come less than 10 yards downfield?How about paying off the one deep shot that was thrown his way?
It’s just one data point, but if the Eagles plan on using Smith more as a get-him-in-space-and-watch type of receiver, I think there’s a path for him to retain weekly value, something that is hard if your primary role is running downfield in a low-volume offense. One more week like this and I’ll have him projected to lead this receiver room in points. As it is, both he and Brown are ranked as low-end WR2s for me in a great matchup.
