It took a concussion, a head coach firing, and one too many unwatchable plays from Russell Wilson, but the New York Giants have finally reached the “what the heck, let’s try it” phase of the 2025 season. And all parties involved could reap the benefits.
Rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart is in the concussion protocol — again — after taking a beating in Chicago, and interim head coach Mike Kafka, in his first real move since replacing Brian Daboll, has decided that Jameis Winston will start Sunday against the Green Bay Packers. According to Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News, Winston has officially leapfrogged Wilson on the depth chart.
It’s about time someone in East Rutherford made the right decision.
Dart’s concussion seemed destined to hand Russell Wilson another start, which is exactly what no one in New York wanted. But four concussion evaluations in half a season is a red flag the size of MetLife Stadium. The Giants have no choice but to sit him, and in doing so, they’re giving Kafka — and Winston — the opportunity of a lifetime.
Related: Everything Giants fans should know about interim HC Mike Kafka
Kafka, promoted from offensive coordinator to interim head coach on Monday, has eight weeks to prove he deserves something a little more... permanent. By moving Winston ahead of Wilson, it's clear he's taking the role seriously. He wants to put himself in the best position to win. He's seen what 2025 Russ looks like, and it was time to pivot to something more electric. So you have to go with the guy who has the confidence to throw a football anywhere, at any time, to anyone.
Mike Kafka chooses Jameis Winston over Russell Wilson to start in Week 11 vs. Packers
Winston hasn’t taken a regular-season snap this year, but Giants fans know exactly what comes with his brand of entertainment.
He once led the NFL in passing yards and interceptions in the same season — football’s version of a masterpiece. In Cleveland last year, he threw 13 touchdowns and 12 picks in 12 games, giving defensive backs across the AFC North an honest day’s work.
Wilson, meanwhile, looks stuck in reboot mode. Nothing looked worse than his attempted QB run from the two-yard line that resulted in an immediate stop. He went absolutely nowhere. He looked cooked. Kafka knows it. The locker room knows it. And soon, the Packers might too, because Winston only has one speed, and it's chaos. He’s going to make things happen, whether good or bad.
The season’s long gone by now, but some good can still come from the final seven games — for Kafka, for the locker room, and for the fans who’ve had enough of losing in ways we’ve never seen before. Now it’s about hoping for the full Famous Jameis experience: 400-plus yards, four touchdowns, and a bunch of interceptions — just the way nature intended.
Good on Kafka to make the right decision first week in the chair. Things are already looking up.