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Eagles DC Vic Fangio on Jaxson Dart: Teams that needed QBs will 'regret' bypassing him

VIC-FANGIO

Vic Fangio has been coaching defense for 39 years, but he learned one more lesson when the Eagles faced Jaxson Dart for the first time.

"One lesson learned [is] the teams that need quarterbacks that bypassed him," the 67-year-old defensive coordinator said about the 22-year-old rookie, "they're going to regret that."

Fangio made those remarks in response to a question during a Tuesday press conference in Philadelphia, where the 5-2 Eagles will host the 2-5 Giants on Sunday.

Two Thursdays ago at MetLife Stadium, Dart became the first rookie quarterback ever to defeat a reigning Super Bowl MVP (Jalen Hurts) head-to-head in primetime within his first three career starts.

In that game, the 25th overall pick completed 17 of 25 passes for 195 yards and a touchdown while joining Hurts and Baltimore's Lamar Jackson as the only quarterbacks in the Super Bowl era with 50+ rush yards in each of their first three starts.

"Obviously very athletic, an elite scrambler," Fangio said about Dart. "I think their coaches have done a great job with him. They've developed the offense around him. Throws the ball very well, intermediate and deep, and he's a good player."

View photos of the Giants' rookie class throughout the 2025 season.

Dart and the Giants scored 34 points in the first leg of the series, the second-most allowed by the Eagles since Fangio took over the defense prior to the 2024 championship season.

The Ole Miss product didn't slow down last week and is now the third rookie quarterback since 2000 to be responsible for 10 touchdowns in his first four career starts, joining Justin Herbert and Deshaun Watson.

In a season of many new experiences, Sunday will mark the first time Dart has seen a defense for the second time – and vice versa.

The Eagles broke a two-game losing streak last week with a 28-22 road victory over the Vikings. Fangio's unit intercepted Carson Wentz twice and returned one for a touchdown.

In addition, franchise legend Brandon Graham is coming out of retirement and could provide another wrinkle. The two-time Super Bowl champion defensive end is third on the Eagles' all-time sack list.

"We'll see what kind of shape he's in, what kind of retention he has from last year," Fangio said. "You know, shape comes in two forms. One, just your conditioning, but [also] in football shape, too, contact shape. So, hopefully the sooner the better."

And in a schedule quirk, this will be the second game between the Giants and Eagles in a three-week span.

"It doesn't happen very often," Fangio said. "To be honest with you, I don't think it matters a whole lot."

View rare photos of the historic rivalry between the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles.

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