The Giants and Jets are both entering training camp with rebuilds in motion, but they’re not starting from the same place.
The Jets have been the NFL’s worst team since 2016, going 49-116. The Giants aren’t far behind at 55-109-1, and both franchises are trying to dig out after failed regimes left them searching for answers.
For the Jets, the frustration has been obvious on defense and at quarterback. They finished fourth in total defense in 2022, second in 2023 and fifth in 2024, but that strength never turned into real success because Zach Wilson couldn’t get it done and Aaron Rodgers’ 2023 season ended with a Week 1 Achilles injury. Rodgers returned for a full 2024 campaign, yet the Jets still went 5-12 and ranked 24th in total offense.
Now they’ve got a new front office and coaching staff in 2025, plus a roster that’s been reshaped and stocked with future draft capital. They hold three first-round picks in 2027. What they still don’t have is a long-term quarterback.
The Giants took a different path. They drafted Jaxson Dart out of Ole Miss with the No. 25 overall pick in 2025, and he posted a 57.5 ESPN QBR that ranked 17th over 14 games last season. The 23-year-old threw 15 touchdown passes, was intercepted five times and added nine rushing scores.
This offseason, the Giants brought in head coach John Harbaugh and made a major roster move by trading star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals for the 2026 No. 10 overall pick. They used that selection on Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa and also took Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese at No. 5.
The biggest question for New York is simple: who is set up better to win soon?
The Giants have the more obvious quarterback path, but there are real unknowns around it. Dart showed enough last season to hint at franchise potential, yet the team also got hit hard by injuries.
Malik Nabers tore his right ACL in Week 4 and, according to ESPN’s Jordan Raanan, could be ready for Week 1 in September, though “nobody really knows,” per ESPN. Cam Skattebo dislocated his ankle in Week 8 and is expected to be ready for training camp, per ESPN.
If Nabers and Skattebo return to form, Dart’s job gets a lot easier. Nabers had 109 catches for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns as a rookie after the Giants drafted him No. 6 overall in 2024. Skattebo, drafted No. 105 overall last year, produced 617 scrimmage yards and seven touchdowns on 125 touches, averaging 4.9 yards per touch.
But none of that is guaranteed, and Dart will still be under the microscope. If he takes a step back in his second season, Harbaugh’s first year in New York could get rocky fast.
The Jets, meanwhile, aren’t carrying that same quarterback burden this season. Geno Smith is the bridge, and Cade Klubnik, a fourth-round rookie, isn’t expected to make an immediate impact.
That shifts the spotlight to the young core they’re trying to build around: defensive end David Bailey, the 2026 No. 2 overall pick; right tackle Armand Membou, the 2025 No. 7 overall pick; left tackle Olu Fashanu, the 2024 No. 11 overall pick; and tight end Kenyon Sadiq, the 2026 No. 16 overall pick.
They still have some established pieces, too, with Garrett Wilson at wide receiver and Breece Hall at running back giving the roster a steadier base. Both have already seen what happens when a rebuilding team never lands a true long-term quarterback.
The Jets finished 3-14 in 2025, and the immediate goal is to take a real step forward before next offseason’s quarterback hunt. For now, the focus is on building something that looks and feels like a winning team.
The Giants are asking Dart to lead them there, and it’s far too early to say whether he’s the next Eli Manning. But in a league where quarterback matters most, having a young passer with a productive season already on the books gives the Giants a leg up on their MetLife Stadium neighbors.
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