Jaxson Dart’s rookie campaign had all the makings of a breakout story - 24 touchdowns in 14 starts, poise under pressure, and flashes of the kind of quarterback play that gives a franchise hope. But when the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year was announced, it was Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan taking home the hardware.
Dart? He finished fourth in the voting, with just one first-place vote to his name.
Now, let’s be clear: McMillan was a deserving winner. He was electric all season long and turned into a go-to weapon for Carolina.
And the debate between Dart and Saints quarterback Tyler Shough is close enough to call it a coin flip - both had strong cases. But where things get murky is with the third-place finisher: Seahawks offensive guard Grey Zabel.
Yes, you read that right - a guard finished ahead of a quarterback who threw 24 touchdowns in a shortened season. That’s not a knock on Zabel, who’s been a key part of Seattle’s offensive resurgence.
He helped solidify a line that had been a weak spot for years, and the Seahawks are now headed to the Super Bowl. But offensive linemen getting votes for Offensive Rookie of the Year?
That’s rare air, and it raises some eyebrows.
It’s tough to ignore the trend here - team success seems to be bleeding into individual awards more than ever. Zabel plays for a Super Bowl team.
Dart, meanwhile, battled through a turbulent season in New York that included a mid-year coaching change and a three-game injury absence. The Giants’ offense completely unraveled without him, which tells you just how valuable he was when healthy.
And that’s the part that stings for Giants fans. Dart wasn’t just putting up numbers - he was keeping the offense afloat. He stepped into a tough situation, showed leadership beyond his years, and still managed to make plays behind an inconsistent offensive line and without the benefit of elite skill-position talent for much of the year.
Yes, some of those hits he took were on him - Dart’s aggressive style sometimes put him in harm’s way. But missing three games shouldn’t have been a deal-breaker, especially when you consider the context: a rookie QB navigating a coaching change, a revolving door at receiver, and a team that leaned heavily on him to stay competitive.
As for Shough, he had a strong finish to the season in New Orleans, but he didn’t start as many games as Dart and didn’t have quite the same impact over the full year. Put Dart in an offense with weapons like Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo for 17 games, and we might be having a very different conversation right now.
In the end, McMillan was the right choice - he was dynamic, consistent, and made a clear difference for the Panthers. But Dart deserved more recognition than he got.
Fourth place, behind a guard and a quarterback with fewer starts? That’s a tough pill to swallow.
Still, if there’s a silver lining here, it’s this: Dart now has a chip on his shoulder heading into Year 2. With a new offensive staff in New York and (hopefully) more stability around him, he’s got a real shot to make the leap. Don’t be surprised if this snub fuels something special.