The Jaxson Dart era has officially begun.
The New York Giants plan to bench veteran Russell Wilson and name Dart the team’s starting quarterback, a league source told The Athletic’s Dianna Russini on Tuesday. The first-round rookie, who has already played a handful of snaps this season, will make his first start Sunday at MetLife Stadium against the 3-0 Los Angeles Chargers.
There was some internal debate, according to league sources, about waiting to make the change until Week 5, with a matchup against the 0-3 New Orleans Saints on tap. However, the Giants ultimately elected to go with Dart now, believing he gives them the best chance to beat the Chargers.
Meanwhile, the decision to bench Wilson came days after the Giants’ ugly 22-9 loss Sunday night in their home opener against the Kansas City Chiefs. The defeat pushed the Giants to 0-3 and, clearly, into this monumental decision.
From the moment they selected Dart, the Giants have said they wanted to give the 22-year-old Ole Miss product time to learn the NFL game from the sideline. Their hope was that Wilson could serve as the bridge quarterback, while Dart learned the ins and outs of the pro game from the 36-year-old Super Bowl winner, as well as fellow backup quarterback Jameis Winston, before being thrust into the lineup.
It turned out to be a pretty short bridge, however, as Wilson’s career as the Giants’ starter lasted only three games — all losses.
The actual decision to move to Dart came in somewhat bizarre fashion, as Giants coach Brian Daboll said Monday afternoon the team was “evaluating everything,” when asked if Wilson would still be the team’s starter in Week 4. By the time Daboll typically speaks with reporters the day after games, he’s usually committed to his QB decisions, but that wasn’t the case Monday.
To be fair, the team played on Sunday Night Football, pushing back their typical schedule. However, Daboll said he had met with the team, as usual, and would go on to meet with the quarterback room, as per his typical Monday routine.
Dart’s promotion came Tuesday afternoon.
Giants fans have been clamoring to see Dart take over from the moment the franchise traded back into the first round to draft him with the No. 25 pick. The excitement to see him play only intensified after Dart delivered some sterling performances during the preseason.
It was, as our own Dan Duggan wrote, “impossible not to get excited about what Dart showed” during his first tastes of the NFL. The rookie looked poised and comfortable operating Daboll’s offense, as he routinely got the ball out quickly while leading the Giants on scoring drives. Dart finished the preseason having completed 32-of-47 passes (68 percent) for 372 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. He also added 52 yards and a score on the ground.
The impressive performances were enough for Daboll to promote Dart to the team’s No. 2 quarterback behind Wilson. From there, it was just a matter of time before he took over, as the team has lauded Dart’s abilities both publicly and privately at seemingly every turn. Even a portion of Sunday’s night broadcast against the Chiefs turned into a Dart informercial, as NBC’s Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth shared how much everyone associated with the Giants has been gushing over the rookie.
Since the beginning of the season, the Giants have slowly been working Dart into their game plans, exposing him to the speed of regular-season action. There was some thought he’d make his debut in Week 1 against Washington, but his first reps didn’t actually come until Week 2 in Dallas. Dart played three snaps, handing off the ball twice and rushing for negative yardage on the other.
Against the Chiefs, Dart also played three snaps, only this time, it was in front of a home crowd that was very eager to see more of the rookie. Before the game even reached halftime, there were chants of “We want Dart,” following Wilson’s second interception. When Dart entered the game for a couple of snaps in the second half, the crowd greeted him with cheers; Wilson received boos as he returned to the field following Dart’s reps.
When asked Monday if the team would feel confident starting Dart, Daboll said: “Well, we put him in the game the last two weeks. We wouldn’t put anybody in the game we don’t feel confident with.”
Biggest lie I told today was that I wasn’t that fired up about last night’s game. That lasted about 30 seconds. We even got a rare @charlottecrrll rant! Be sure to check out the recording of today’s live room: https://t.co/9FruV78Edo
— Dan Duggan (@DDuggan21) September 22, 2025
Dart will now be tasked with trying to elevate an offense that has struggled to do much outside of their Week 2 outburst in Dallas. Even after scoring 37 in Dallas, the Giants are averaging just 17.3 offensive points per game, 26th in the NFL. Fortunately for Dart, it looks like he’ll have a healthy Andrew Thomas protecting his blindside, as the star left tackle returned Sunday night to play 25 snaps. He exited the game feeling “just fine,” according to Daboll.
For Wilson, this could be the end of day as a starter — certainly in New York. Signed to only a one-year contract, he likely doesn’t have a future with the franchise, which would mean he’d play next season on his fifth different team in six years. Wilson has enjoyed a storied career, the result of which could one day see him enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. However, it’s been evident both this season and in recent years that his best days are behind him.
Because of the that, the Giants decided to pull the plug and look toward the future.
The Jaxson Dart era officially begins at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.
(Photo: Al Bello / Getty Images)
