Giants rookie Jaxson Dart’s ‘helicopter dad’ is ‘messing and meddling’ in his ‘son’s business,’ according to retired New York quarterback Danny Kanell.
A 52-year-old CBS Sports and Sirius XM football analyst, Kanell was responding to an online attack from Brandon Dart amid reports that son Jaxson could be replaced as Giants quarterback next season.
‘Bro, Eat a Fat One,’ the elder Dart wrote on X after the Giants beat the Las Vegas Raiders, 34-10, on Sunday.
Appearing on VT Sports, Kanell responded Monday: ‘Told ya we got a big fat one lined up for ya.’
The former Florida State star then criticized Brandon, 53, for interfering in his 22-year-old son’s career.
‘I don’t know why you’re messing and meddling in your son’s business,’ Kanell said, as quoted by the New York Post. ‘He’s been online before, calling out officials, calling out other analysts and it brings more attention to you than it does your son and it’s negative attention by calling out anybody in the media.
‘I’m a nobody in the media,’ Kanell continued. ‘Why are you attacking me? I get supporting your son, but bringing this on you. There’s going to be a lot of people — it doesn’t bother me. I don’t care. I get it. But as a dad, this reeks of helicopter dad, who has been involved and it’s been pretty well documented how involved he’s been in his son’s life.
Jaxson Dart is 3-8 as a starting quarterback, leaving some doubt about his future in New York
Jaxson Dart is pictured with his parents Kara and Brandon during his time at Ole Miss
‘Just let him go be him. You don’t have to come to your son’s rescue. You don’t have to defend him. Let his play do the talking and it will all be fine. You can keep receipts. You can hold on to everything. But this, to me, doesn’t do Jaxson Dart any favors because you’re just making a target on his back for any critics. I’m pretty used to getting called out like this, but a lot of guys would start rooting against Jaxson Dart so they could be right.’
Kanell then reposted a clip of his rant in an online post, while making sure to include Brandon’s handle.
The talk began on Sunday when NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said the Giants would consider drafting Heisman winner and Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza if they had the first pick in the 2026 Draft.
That’s now unlikely after the Giants beat the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, but the fact that Rapoport was confident enough to file the report could indicate some doubt on the Giants’ part about Dart’s future.
It sparked wider debate around Dart in his rookie season, with Danny Kanell of CBS Sports saying after Sunday’s win that he, too, remains unconvinced by him.
‘I don’t know if Jaxson Dart is the long-term answer for the Giants,’ Kanell, the Giants starting quarterback in 1997, said. ‘When I think of a first-round draft pick, I think it’s somebody that you should picture for 10 to 12 years as gonna be your guy.
‘I still haven’t seen development as a passer. He still is running the football, and they’re designing runs for him. But I want to see him take that next step as a passer, and I just haven’t seen it yet.’
Responding to the clip on X, Brandon Dart hit out at Kanell saying: ‘Bro, Eat a Fat One!’
Danny Kanell was a star at Florida State before embarking on careers in the NFL and the media
Dart himself insisted that he was not concerned by the reports about his position when he spoke to reporters after leading the Giants to a 34-10 win over the Raiders in Vegas.
‘I’m going to continue to play my ball,’ Dart said in the locker room. ‘I know I’m going to be here for a very long time. I’m excited to start winning more games and turn this place around, do my job.
‘We have a bright future. When you think about this rookie class, we have a really bright future and we’re going to be a really big pivot and turn this thing around.’
Dart took over at quarterback from Russell Wilson in Week 4 of his rookie season after the Giants traded back into the first round of the 2025 Draft to pick him from Ole Miss.
Despite health issues along the offensive line, as well as season-ending injuries to receiver Malik Nabers and running back Cam Skattebo, Dart still delivered a respectable rookie season. Not only did he toss 13 touchdowns compared to just five interceptions, but he also had a solid 63.2 completion percentage.
