Robert Saleh would take $100,000 out of his Woody Johnson-lined pockets for the chance to coach Jaxson Dart.
Maybe more than anyone, Saleh, whose four seasons as the Jets head coach expired because he never found the right quarterback, can appreciate the lifeline Dart is providing hot-seat head coach Brian Daboll.
The irony is Saleh is now in charge of making life miserable Sunday for Dart, Daboll and the Giants as the 49ers defensive coordinator.
“He’s uber-talented,” Saleh said Thursday with a mix of awe and laughter. “I understand why Daboll went to the blue tent. I probably would’ve went too. The kid’s good, man.”
That’s a joking reference to Daboll incurring a $100,000 fine from the NFL (and the Giants being billed an additional $200,000) for “conduct detrimental to the league” because he looked into the sideline medical tent and spoke to Dart during his concussion test against the Eagles on Oct. 9. The league considered his actions creating the “perception” of interfering with an independent medical exam, though Daboll said that he just wanted to check on his prized rookie.
“I think New York hit on this one big time,” Saleh said. “He is dynamic. He is decisive. He is accurate. He’s been a joy to watch studying his tape over his five starts. They are doing a really good job with him. There are certain things they are asking of him, but they are doing a good job hiding it within their weekly game plans. This kid is going to be special.”
How can Saleh press pause on Dart’s development? By straying from his tendencies.
Dart has completed 67.8 percent of his passes for four touchdowns, zero interceptions and a 101.4 passer rating when not pressured, per NextGenStats. Those numbers change to 46.2 percent, four touchdowns, three interceptions and a 72.4 rating when under pressure.
The 49ers have pressured opposing quarterbacks on only 25.9 percent of dropbacks — the lowest rate in the NFL — because Saleh believes in rushing four defensive linemen and holding blitzes. The defense is tied for the league lead with six fumble recoveries.
“I think the biggest thing that stood out to me initially, just early in the week watching tape, is ball disruption,” Dart said. “Two or three games were won for them off of the defensive side, punching the ball out late at the end of the game to steal games. They play really hard and they play physical and fast, so it’s going to be a really good challenge for us.”
Daboll and Saleh became friendly as overlapping head coaches in New York from 2022-24, and the mutual respect was on display during joint practices and the annual preseason game.
But if you don’t think Saleh’s quarterback opinion holds much weight because he cycled through six starters with the Jets and Zach Wilson never developed, then maybe consider that Dart was just named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month. No Giants quarterback — not Eli Manning or Daniel Jones in their best seasons — ever earned that nod.
Or just take it from one of the NFL’s sharpest quarterback minds: Kyle Shanahan is in the middle of turning around Mac Jones’ career, after doing the same for Sam Darnold and squeezing the most out of Brock Purdy and Jimmy Garoppolo.
“I’ve been real impressed with him,” Shanahan said. “They are mixing in a lot of RPOs (run-pass options), which he’s got a good feel for. He has a very good knack for off-schedule plays. Attacking, scrambling, you drop off any players in coverage, he finds them. His vision is pretty elite when it comes to seeing holes in the defense when he gets outside that pocket. Just watching him even play in the pocket, too, he knows how to play quarterback.”
The 49ers passed on drafting Dart with the No. 11 pick — 14 picks before the Giants traded up to grab him — because of their commitment to Purdy, who later signed a five-year, $265 million extension.
Purdy has been sidelined by a toe injury since Sept. 28, so the 49ers are in the opposite pinch as the Giants: They have weapons playing without their quarterback instead of Dart playing with replacements for Cam Skattebo and Malik Nabers.
“Jaxson’s done a great job of kind of getting everyone on the same page,” Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka said. “Whether he’s meeting with them extra or talking to them on the sideline, just those open lines have been great.”
