Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart capped off a memorable NFL debut on Saturday by sharing a sweet moment with his mother.
Moments after the Giants defeated the Buffalo Bills 34-25 in Orchard Park, Dart embraced his mom, Kara, in the stands at Highmark Stadium.
He had no clue that his mom would end up stealing his shine.
Dart, the 25th overall pick in this year’s NFL draft, smiled beside teammate and fellow quarterback Tommy DeVito, who also got playing time in the preseason opener.
Jaxson Dart’s mom came dressed in a sleeveless New York Giants shirt, and she made sure all would see her incredible, ripped arms.
Jaxson Dart shares a postgame moment with his mom after his first NFL game @Giants pic.twitter.com/aIwfiJQPzf
— Jenna Cottrell (@JennaCottrell) August 9, 2025
Kara also went viral after she embraced her son when he was selected in the NFL Draft. It made him the second quarterback taken behind the Titans’ Cam Ward at No. 1.
The Saturday slate of preseason action certainly had plenty of debuts that were worth paying attention to.
The Giants won’t be starting Dart in Week 1 of the regular season, but he gave Giants fans and the coaching staff something to consider.
On Dart’s first series, he showed off the arm that got him selected in the first round. He dropped a deep pass down the left side to Lil’Jordan Humphrey for the touchdown.
Jaxson Dart had a strong debut after entering the game for Russell Wilson, finishing 12 of 19 for 154 yards and a touchdown (106.0 rating).
“I’m comfortable sitting in there when the pressure gets in,” Dart said after the game.
“I knew the opportunity we were going to have — one-on-one — and L.J. went over the top. A lot of times, those are some of the biggest plays in games: In split seconds when you are about to get hit.”
The only reason his numbers weren’t better was that his day was over by the start of the second half, with veteran backup Jameis Winston taking over in the third and DeVito in the fourth.
