Jaxson Dart’s First NFL Start and the End of Malik Nabers’ 2025 Season

Jaxson Dart’s first NFL start marked a significant milestone in his career, but it also signified the end of Malik Nabers’ 2025 season. In Week 4, the second-year wide receiver caught two passes for 20 yards from the rookie quarterback. That was the extent of their on-field collaboration for the year.

Nabers suffered a torn right ACL during the Giants’ 21-18 victory over the Chargers. The injury has left the team hoping that the next regular-season pass he hauls in from Dart will come in the 2026 opener.

“We’ll for sure continue to be together and light it up,” Dart said. “I’m excited. Those are conversations that we have a lot, and we’re two of some of the younger guys in the entire league at 22, so we’ve got a long future together, and there’s going to be a lot of great moments. I know that he’s been attacking this recovery process, and he’s going to come back stronger and better, and he’s going to be hungry for sure.”

On the topic of being hungry, Nabers appeared in an IHOP commercial that aired last week. The ad featured him deadpanning through a self-deprecating script about his injury, which reportedly hurt those who picked him high in fantasy football. The commercial even had an owner of a last-place team eating pancakes all day as punishment.

“I thought it was funny,” Dart said.

What was not amusing was the loss of Nabers, a huge blow to the entire offense. His absence robbed Dart of one of the top pass-catching threats in the league.

“Definitely,” Dart said. “It stings not to have him out there everywhere. He’s an incredible talent. He could beat anybody in the world. When you have a guy like that out there, he’s a safety guy who’s going to come down with the ball at all costs.”

Meanwhile, Abdul Carter is finishing off his rookie season with a strong performance. In his past four games, he has recorded 16 tackles, six tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and 10 quarterback hits.

It is not a coincidence that Carter became more attentive after interim head coach Mike Kafka decided to withhold him from the starting lineup in two games for violating team rules.

“He’s committed to it, and we’ve talked a lot about him committing to his process and making some tweaks and changes, which is great, and it’s just been more of that,” interim defensive coordinator Charlie Bullen said. “He’s learned a lot in his rookie year and I think you can’t always force the process.”

Rookie Quarterback’s Rushing Success

With nine rushing touchdowns, Dart has already overtaken Josh Allen of the Bills for the second-most rushing TDs by a rookie quarterback in the Super Bowl era. It is safe to assume that Dart will not set the rookie record. Cam Newton ran for 14 touchdowns for the Panthers in 2011.

Team Roster Changes

The Cowboys will be without their leading rusher, RB Javonte Williams (252-1,201, 11 TDs) and their second-leading rusher, Malik Davis (52-250).

The Giants signed three players from the practice squad: RB Dante Miller, CB Jarrick Bernard-Converse, and WR Xavier Gipson. They replace three players placed on injured reserve: WR Wan’Dale Robinson, CB Cor’Dale Flott, and DL Rakeem Nuñez-Roches. TE Tanner Conner and DL Casey Rogers were activated from the practice squad.