With training camp creeping closer for the New York Giants, one of the main focuses for the team heading into the 2025 regular season is the team’s quarterback situation and whether or not their rookie quarterback will be the starter at some point.
Before the G-Men even made a draft pick for a quarterback, they settled on two free agent signings to improve the quarterback room; the first was Jameis Winston, who signed for the next two seasons. The other was former Super Bowl-winning quarterback and future Hall of Famer Russell Wilson, whom head coach Brian Daboll has already tabbed as the starter.
Wilson is only signed on for the 2025 season, and back in the 2025 NFL Draft, New York picked their QB of the future when they selected Jaxson Dart with the No. 25 overall pick. Since Dart’s selection, several people wonder if he'll be the guy to eventually take over for Wilson at some point in the season, even with the potential plan being for Wilson to start, Winston to be the backup, and Dart to sit and learn on the sidelines.
Not everyone is sold on Wilson being the starter Week 1
Despite that “plan,” several others have wanted the Giants to scrap that plan and go with Dart during his rookie season. Mike Florio from NBC’s Pro Football Talk is the latest one, as he sees Wilson currently on the hot seat and Dart as his successor.
“Russell Wilson, Giants: If he’s the Week 1 starter (if Jaxson Dart lives up to his first-round draft stock, Wilson shouldn’t be), the clock will be ticking. Immediately. In 2004, the Giants benched Kurt Warner after nine games for Eli Manning, even though the Giants were 5-4 at the time. When Dart is ready, Dart will play. Even if Wilson makes it through 2025 without getting benched, he’ll have to do plenty to keep Dart on the sideline for 2026.”
Florio does make valid points regarding the Giants’ history with rookie quarterbacks. He mentioned the 2004 season, when the Giants made a draft-day trade to acquire Eli Manning, but already had Kurt Warner—who began the season as the starter before eventually being pulled for Manning midseason.
15 years later, it was Manning who found himself as the veteran on the hot seat and was eventually pulled for the first-round rookie quarterback, Daniel Jones. Although Jones had some early promise, his success never came close to matching Manning’s. Jones lasted just six seasons with one playoff win, while Manning spent 15 years with the Giants, winning two Super Bowls and earning two Super Bowl MVPs.
If history does have to repeat itself, Big Blue would hope for a repeat of 2004—since Manning went on to have a Hall of Fame career and lasted 15 years as the starting quarterback, unlike Jones, who was cut after six seasons.
While that might not sit well with Wilson, the long-term plan is to develop Dart and eventually have him take over as the franchise cornerstone. Whether that happens in 2025 or not remains to be seen, and it largely depends on Wilson’s play.
If Wilson plays well and the team is winning games, then Dart isn’t seeing much of the field, if at all. But if Wilson either struggles, or if they don’t win games, then it’s quite possible for Daboll to pull the plug on Wilson and see what they have with Dart.
For the sake of Wilson’s career and future plans—along with Daboll’s coaching future—the hope and goal is to win as many games as possible in 2025. But if the wins are few and far between with Wilson starting, it’s very possible we see Dart take over at some point during his rookie season.