New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen have repeatedly insisted that the plan is for free-agency signing Russell Wilson to serve as the club’s Week 1 starting quarterback.
However, reporters such as Charlotte Carroll of The Athletic continue to openly wonder if rookie Jaxson Dart can give Daboll and Co. something to think about by producing stellar performances during training camp and upcoming preseason games.
During a recent conversation with Gilberto Manzano of Sports Illustrated, Dart discussed his mindset in the early days of sharing a quarterback room with Wilson, Jameis Winston and Tommy DeVito.
“Our sole focus, as a quarterback room, is to win games. That’s why we come to work every single day,” Dart explained. “We want to win. So we all have the same focus, we have the same intent in what we’re doing and how we’re trying to handle it to make the team better. Obviously, you’re competing, but those guys, they’ve been in my shoes, they were rookies once, too. They understand the growing pains, the adjustments from learning a new system so fast and adjusting to the game speed. They’ve been great assets for me, giving me advice. I have a great corner with those guys, so I’m going to continue to lean on them.”
Ever since the Giants traded back into the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft to grab Dart with pick No. 25, insiders and analysts have suggested that it’s a matter of when the first-year pro will be handed the keys to New York’s offense later this year. One reason for that is the fact that the Giants open the season with matchups versus the Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers. If Wilson loses his first four starts with Big Blue, Daboll will have dropped 29 of his last 38 games in charge.
While many are convinced the Giants will part ways with DeVito before the Labor Day weekend arrives, it’s worth noting that he is the only quarterback on the roster who has experience playing in Daboll’s offense. Thus, Winston could become a tradeable asset for New York if a different club loses a starter to an injury.
The three quarterbacks who were on the Giants’ depth chart when the draft got underway became afterthoughts as it pertains to the team’s future following the selection of Dart, but they nevertheless have seemingly welcomed him to the club with open arms.
“They’ve been great,” Dart said about Wilson, Winston and DeVito. “They were three of the first people to reach out to me when I got drafted, heard my name called. …We have a special quarterback room.”
Unless Wilson turns the clock back while playing under Daboll, the most important contribution the one-time Super Bowl champion will make as a member of the Giants will be helping prepare Dart to face live defenses in meaningful games. Perhaps Dart’s official debut will occur sooner than some think if he proves to be a fast learner while working alongside Wilson, Winston and DeVito.
