Giants bench Russell Wilson, name Jaxson Dart starting QB against Chargers in bid to salvage season
Daboll tapis Jaxson Dart as starter to spark a sputtering offense while the Giants chase a turnaround in a pivotal matchup with an undefeated Los Angeles team.
The New York Giants announced on Sunday that head coach Brian Daboll will start Jaxson Dart at quarterback in place of Russell Wilson for the Giants’ game against the undefeated Los Angeles Chargers, in a move aimed at jolting a season that has spiraled to 0-3. The decision, confirmed by The New York Post, marks a dramatic shift at the position and places the rookie in a high-profile Sunday test.
Daboll informed his quarterbacks that Dart will replace Wilson as the starter. It is not clear what role owner John Mara or general manager Joe Schoen played in the decision, and the team publicly presented a united front as they navigate a difficult stretch, though there has been discussion inside the organization about the timetable for developing the No. 25 overall pick. Wilson’s tenure had stretched to three weeks since signing as a free agent, and the plan to develop Dart quickly has accelerated with the current skid.
Wilson’s run as the Giants’ starter and the patient development of their rookie were short-lived. The 36-year-old had a vintage 450-yard performance just over a week ago, a performance fans hoped would ease the pressure. But the offense subsequently produced two fewer than 10 points in two of three games, and boos and chants for Dart began to rise during home outings as the team’s losses mounted. The decision to hand the offense to Dart comes as the franchise seeks a shift to a quarterback who was highly regarded in the draft process during Daboll’s tenure in New York.
Dart, 22, has not attempted a pass in his two regular-season appearances, totaling six snaps. He has carried the ball twice and handed off four times. By contrast, Dart’s strongest showing came in the preseason, when he completed 32 of 47 attempts for 372 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions against a mix of starters, backups and players from other leagues. He also ran six times for 52 yards and a touchdown. The Giants traded back up into the first round to take Dart at No. 25 overall in this year’s draft.
The Giants entered this season with a plan to start Wilson after signing him, and Dart’s two first-team reps in training camp had been limited by the incumbency of Wilson. The front office’s stance has been to present a united front publicly, but sources have suggested there was interest in giving the rookie more time if the season allowed. Daboll’s best path to cooling a hot seat is to have Dart deliver a breakout rookie season similar to what CJ Stroud did with the Texans and what Jayden Daniels showed for the Commanders in recent years. Meanwhile, the franchise has watched quarterback Daniel Jones — who previously carried some of the blame for offensive struggles — perform at a high level with the Colts, becoming an early MVP candidate and underscoring the unpredictable nature of development at the position.
The broader question facing the team now is whether the move to Dart can ignite a turnaround and change the trajectory of Daboll’s tenure in New York. Will the Dart era begin sooner than anyone anticipated, or will the experiment face early bumps against a stiff Chargers defense? The answer could shape the direction of the Giants over the remainder of the season.