After months of waiting, the New York Giants are about to finally witness the training camp quarterback battle between Russell Wilson and Jaxson Dart.
Camp officially opened Tuesday, with the first open practice set for Wednesday in East Rutherford. And while head coach Brian Daboll already named Wilson the starter, it has done absolutely nothing to soften opinions around Dart. The rookie first-round pick has fans excited, the coaching staff invested, and the media on edge, looking for any sign he could be the chosen one.
But before anyone gets carried away, it’s worth remembering how the last “Giants rookie QB fast-track” storyline actually played out. Everyone remembers Daniel Jones replacing Eli Manning in Week 3 of the 2019 season. What people forget is how ugly the years that followed looked after the franchise gave in to the noise and rushed into the unknown — that was before Daboll and Joe Schoen. And that absolutely can't be how things go down this time.
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Tom Rock of Newsday didn’t exactly call for a quarterback change, but he laid the groundwork for one:
“If the Giants come out of (training) camp believing Dart is ready to play, their tolerance for Wilson will be short,” Rock wrote. “Even Eli Manning only got a two-week leash the last time the Giants were itching to play a first-round pick at the position (Daniel Jones in 2019), so if things go very south very quickly this time, Wilson may not make it to the home opener in Week 3.”
Giants’ home opener against Chiefs is worst possible first start for Dart
It really has nothing to do with Dart not being good enough. It’s more about this being a totally different situation. The G-Men open with the Commanders, Cowboys, Chiefs, and Chargers — then go to New Orleans. That Week 3 matchup at home would happen to be against Patrick Mahomes in primetime. If Dart’s the future, what are we even doing here?
And it’s not like they're being vague about their QB plan. Daboll already named Wilson the starter. He’s earned a real opportunity to lead this team, not just because of what he’s done in the past, but because of how this regime has approached this offseason from the start. If Wilson stinks? Fine, reevaluate. But that evaluation window has to extend beyond the first two weeks.
There’s a version of this season where Wilson plays competent football, the defense steps up, and Dart gets to redshirt while learning the system at his own pace. That’s the best-case scenario. And if Dart keeps making strides, that’s even better. But that doesn’t mean rushing the process just because people were calling for Danny Dimes in 2019.
Dart can look the part in training camp. He can make every throw and show growth week to week. None of that changes the reality of what a full-speed Mahomes matchup in Week 3 looks like. If Big Bue is going to get this right, they have to be willing to play the long game — even if that means letting the guy they’re most excited about sit tight until the moment is actually right.
Let’s not confuse buzz with readiness. Let’s not confuse history with precedent. Different player. Different plan. Different front office. Learn from the past and let this one play out the right way.