Legendary NFL agent breaks down Jaxson Dart-Trump controversy, reveals 'Athletes for Obama' breakdown
NFL agent Leigh Steinberg, known for representing elite franchise quarterbacks, spoke about Jaxson Dart's decision to introduce Trump, and how a coalition called "Athletes for Obama" fell apart.
Correction: The original version of this article stated that the comments were made by Dez Bryant. The person who made these remarks was Aqib Talib. We regret the error. Bryant retweeted Talib's comments.
After years of left-leaning athletes endorsing, promoting and even campaigning for Democratic Party politicians without incident, Jaxson Dart has faced immense criticism and set off a media firestorm by introducing President Donald Trump at a recent rally.
His teammate, Abdul Carter, then made himself part of the conversation unnecessarily, criticizing Dart for supporting Trump. Then, when addressing it in front of the media, he gave an inexplicable answer about his post and decision to speak out.
One of the most common criticisms of Dart's choice has been that he would divide the locker room. That his teammates would no longer feel comfortable working with him. Former player and current analyst Emmanuel Acho went as far as saying that it was "pretty stupid" to support Trump publicly.
But former player Aqib Talib has a completely different perspective that's much more representative of how locker rooms actually function.
President Donald Trump shakes hands with New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart as he arrives to speak at Rockland Community College in Suffern, N.Y., on May 22, 2026. (Alex Brandon/AP)
Speaking on "The Arena: Gridiron" podcast, Talib explained that football teams are full of people that come from different backgrounds, have different perspectives and work together successfully anyway.
"It's so many different upbringings, so many backgrounds in the league," he explained. "Man, you got dudes from the hood, from the suburbs, from the country, from the city...You're going to have different political views. You're gonna have different religious views. I don't think it impact the locker room. They say you're not supposed to talk about politics. Man, f--- that. The locker room talk about everything. And you're gonna had guys who believe something you don't believe. And you all gonna talk about it. It probably turn to jokes."
Talib brought up a specific example of a teammate, former defensive end Derek Wolfe, who was a diehard Trump supporter. That even if there were disagreements about politics, everyone went to his wedding anyway.
GIANTS' ABDUL CARTER AND JAXSON DART SQUASH POTENTIAL LOCKER ROOM RIFT OVER TRUMP EVENT APPEARANCE
"In our locker room, we had my dog, Derek Wolf. He loved Trump. He was adamant about it. He f----- loved Trump, 'Trump gon' do this, and Trump gon',' we used to argue with him, and play around, and laugh, and joke, and at the end of the day, we all was at the wedding. He had married, we're all up there in Vail at the wedding, kicking it, like, that's our brother to this day."
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Jan 11, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib in the first quarter against the Indianapolis Colts in the 2014 AFC Divisional playoff football game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Colts defeated the Broncos 24-13. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
He said that attitude is what the locker room is all about, coming together from different backgrounds to win championships. What actually divides teammates? When someone puts themselves and their contract above winning.
"Now if there's a guy here like, 'bro, I'm making my cash, I don't give a f--- about winning'...Nah, that's gonna cause a riff-raff in the locker room."
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That's what's so disingenuous about the criticisms levied at Dart. None of his critics would say a word if he appeared with Kamala Harris or Barack Obama at a rally. There'd be nothing "divisive," or "pretty stupid" about supporting Democrats. But the media or specific commentators treat Trump differently, and Abdul Carter, despite a very questionable past himself, ironically was the only divisive force in the entire incident.
New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart looks on before the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on Oct. 26, 2025. (Bill Streicher/Imagn Images)
What Talib explains is that the Giants locker room almost certainly doesn't care about someone's political opinions. That they can disagree without it becoming a problem. That the one thing John Harbaugh or Dart's teammates would view as unacceptable is not putting winning first. If only sports media thought the same way.
