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While Daniel Jones is thriving with the 8-2 Indianapolis Colts, his replacement in New York is already undergoing his first head coaching change just 10 games into the season.
Jaxson Dart and the rest of the New York Giants will finish the 2025 season without head coach Brian Daboll, who was fired after another late-game collapse by the team — this time in a 24-20 loss to the Chicago Bears on the road.
Mike Kafka, the team’s offensive coordinator, was named interim head coach, while general manager Joe Schoen is already leading the search for Daboll’s replacement next year and beyond.
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New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (6) warms up before an NFL football game between the New Orleans Saints and the New York Giants, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Daboll’s situation mirrors the one Jones found himself in last year when the Giants released him during a rollercoaster season that ultimately led to him trading back to the first round and selecting Dart out of Ole Miss during the 2025 NFL Draft.
After a brief stint in Minnesota with the Vikings, Jones won the quarterback battle in Indianapolis and hasn’t looked back since. But considering he was once a young quarterback trying to find his way with the Giants, could he have any advice for Dart, who already wants another head coach as he begins his own career?
“I don’t know Jaxson personally,” Jones told Pakinomist Digital while also discussing his work on FedEx’s “Power Move” campaign during the bye week. “Heard good things about him and a lot of people in New York have really enjoyed working with him and playing with him. I think he’s played really well this year and I’m looking forward to seeing him.
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“As far as advice goes, I think he’ll figure it out. He’s been playing really well. As long as he keeps working and playing the way he’s playing, I’m sure he’ll be fine.”
Jones may not know Dart personally, but he recognizes the talent of his successor — as does the rest of the NFL. It’s been hard to ignore what Dart has done since he was named the starter over Russell Wilson in Week 4, which ended up being the team’s first win of the season over the Los Angeles Chargers.
Dart has thrown for 1,417 yards with 10 touchdowns and three interceptions on a 62.7% completion rate while showing off his running ability. He has seven rushing touchdowns this season, leading all quarterbacks. In fact, only four players in the entire NFL have more rushing scores.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (17) leaves the field after an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
But one of those runs proved costly in Chicago when Dart suffered a concussion that knocked him out of the game prematurely. He will not dress this Sunday at home against the Green Bay Packers, as Kafka has already named Jameis Winston the team’s starter for the contest.
Then again, Jones couldn’t care less about what kind of tumultuous season the Giants are going through now. He leads the NFL in passing yards through 10 weeks as he and star running back Jonathan Taylor have set the tone with an explosive offense that has stifled opponents thus far. The Colts sit comfortably atop the AFC South at 8-2, and Jones may have found his next long-term home — assuming he stays put given his free agent status for 2026.
“As far as advice goes, I think he’ll figure it out. He’s been playing really well. As long as he keeps working and playing the way he’s playing, I’m sure he’ll be fine.”
However, Jones knows what Dart is going through as a first-round quarterback in one of the toughest media markets in professional sports.
In 2019, Jones was already being talked out of by some Giants fans before he had the chance to prove himself out of Duke. He did nothing but keep his head down, work hard and perform his best – even when the results weren’t there.
He also watched as Pat Shurmur was fired after his rookie year, Joe Judge was shown the door ahead of the 2022 campaign, and now Daboll is getting the boot around the same time Jones was released in 2024.
New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart reacts after scoring a touchdown in the first half of an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears, Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
The NFL, like any professional sports league, can be a tough business, and the Giants have certainly endured their share of struggles since their last Super Bowl title in 2012. The glass half full is that Dart has the potential to be a franchise quarterback for years to come while young pieces on both sides of the ball are in place.
Jones will be watching from afar now, but since he still has friends in New York, there are no ill wishes on his part. It’s simply not his nature.
As he did in New York, Jones will work with his Colts teammates and coaches in hopes of continuing their push toward the playoffs and a potential Super Bowl run. What the future holds in his old stomping grounds remains to be seen.
POWER MOVES WITH FEDEX
Jones just got back from Berlin, Germany after a win over the Atlanta Falcons and got right down to business with FedEx for their “Power Move” campaign. When asked what he would say his power move is right now, he replied, “Ripping the ball to Jonathan Taylor right now.”
Taylor was just nominated for the fourth time this season for the FedEx Air $ Ground NFL Awards Program, the fan-voted award in its 23rd year. Jones is a big fan of the program, which every week celebrated the best NFL performances across the league, and it’s not just for quarterbacks. Running backs, tight ends and wide receivers are also eligible, but it’s hard not to put Taylor in, who had another three-touchdown game overseas.
“He’s been on fire,” Jones said of Taylor. “It seems like every week he shows up and tops the week before and super, super consistent for us running the ball. Those explosive runs, especially in the second half, when we get into these games that they’ve worn on him a little bit, he finds a seam and pops one. I think the offensive line obviously deserves a lot of credit with those things, too. But he’s definitely been so happy for him as well. vote for FedEx Ground Player of the Year, which I know they’re doing again in year.”
