For the last couple of seasons, a good portion of the New York Giants fan base has wanted the team to draft a quarterback in an effort to start over at the position and move on from former starter Daniel Jones. It took them six years to wipe their hands of Jones, but they finally did just last season.
Then in April, after selecting Abdul Carter with the third overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the G-Men made a trade with the Houston Texans to get back into the first round and landed Jaxson Dart from Ole Miss. That move gave many fans a sense of nostalgia and hope, since Ole Miss was also Eli Manning’s alma mater. New York made a similar kind of deal back in the 2004 NFL Draft to land Manning, so it made sense for fans to draw the comparison 21 years later with Dart.
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For the time being, heading into training camp, the preseason, and the regular season, Russell Wilson will be the starting quarterback, with Dart expected to learn behind him and veteran backup Jameis Winston. Whether Dart sees the field in 2025 has been a major topic surrounding the team, as many wonder if the rookie will eventually be inserted into regular-season action, just like when Manning took over for Kurt Warner in 2004, and when Jones replaced Manning in 2019.
Tyler Sullivan of CBS Sports looked at each team’s reason for optimism heading into the 2025 season, and he listed Dart as the source of hope for Big Blue.
“As exciting as Abdul Carter and his injection along a defensive line that already consists of Brian Burns and Dexter Lawrence is, what gives New York Giants fans hope is Jaxson Dart. The front office had enough faith in the Ole Miss product to trade back up into the first round of the draft to select him, and he is now the long-term answer at the position. Of course, it's a question as to when we'll actually see Dart with Russell Wilson likely the Week 1 starter, but he provides hope for a brighter tomorrow and heads to New York with a ton of raw skill.”
Jaxson Dart gives the Giants franchise and fanbase a big reason for optimism and hope
Had the Giants only signed Winston and then drafted Dart back in April, there could have been a strong case for playing Dart much sooner than expected—likely at some point during his rookie season. But they followed up the Winston signing by bringing in Wilson, with the clear premise that he would open the season as the starter.
If Dart were to play, it would likely be in a similar situation to when Manning and Jones took over for their predecessors—when the team was struggling and looking to make a change by turning to their first-round rookie quarterback. That scenario wouldn’t bode well for Wilson, whose goal is to win as many games as possible and earn himself another potential starting job in 2026, since he’s only with Big Blue on a one-year deal.
With Dart in the quarterback room, fans know his time is eventually coming—bringing a sense of a fresh start for the team, especially after watching the previous starter post five losing seasons in six years and leaving them wondering when winning football would return. With all the comparisons between Dart and Manning, that’s the hope and optimism many are holding onto for when Dart eventually takes the reins.
Until Dart officially takes over as the Giants’ starting quarterback, it’s a wait-and-see situation. But that uncertainty still brings a sense of hope and excitement about the team’s future with him at the helm.