Despite Brian Daboll all but confirming that Jaxson Dart will be the New York Giants’ starting quarterback for the rest of the season, the team has no plans to cut or trade Russell Wilson... at least not at the moment.
New York signed the Pro Bowl and Super Bowl-winning quarterback to a one-year, $10.5 million deal in the offseason to serve as a placeholder and mentor to their former first-round pick. And aside from a career-best 450-yard outing against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 2, which still ended in a crushing loss, Wilson’s 0-3 start led the team to make the switch.
After Dart impressed in Sunday’s 21-18 upset win over the Los Angeles Chargers, trade rumors began swirling around Wilson’s name. While he’s made it clear he wants to remain in New York and help Dart develop, could a potential long-term injury to a superstar quarterback open the door for trade talks?
Does Lamar Jackson’s injury open the door for a Wilson-to-Baltimore deal?
While there haven’t been any confirmed discussions between the Baltimore Ravens and the G-Men about Wilson’s availability, Baltimore may be forced into the quarterback market. Lamar Jackson exited Sunday’s 37-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs early with a hamstring injury, and reportedly would not have returned even if the game were close.
With Jackson's status unclear, Anthony Palacios from Last Word on Sports floated the idea of Big Blue trading Wilson to the Ravens if they will indeed not have their MVP signal-caller for the long term.
"Even with a disastrous loss, the Baltimore Ravens will most likely be without Lamar Jackson due to a hamstring injury, and at 1-3, it’s never a good sign," Palacios wrote. "This means Baltimore might be in the market for a quarterback, which could end up being Giants veteran Russell Wilson...the Ravens should target Wilson as a possible option to help the team continue moving forward as a capable roster that can win a game with Jackson."
We all expected Dart to take over at some point. It just came sooner than expected. Now, moving on from Wilson might be the right call, especially with Baltimore possibly in need of a stopgap option.
At 1-3 and with the two-time MVP's status uncertain, the only option Baltimore has at quarterback is former Cowboys backup Cooper Rush, who Big Blue is very familiar with. The Ravens know their season is already on the brink, sitting at 1-3 with the possibility of being without Jackson for an extended period.
The Giants already have a veteran backup in Jameis Winston, who seems to be settling in well during his first season in New York. Unlike Wilson, he’s under contract for two years. Brian Daboll made it clear that Dart is the Giants’ starter for the rest of the season, and with Wilson’s brief tenure in New York all but over — and the Ravens potentially in the market for a short-term quarterback — he may end up being the answer for them.