The Giants signed two veteran QBs this offseason but if the team struggles, it will be tough to keep first-rounder Jaxson Dart on the bench.
The New York Giants had a strong 2025 NFL draft, picking up the best defensive prospect in the class as well as a promising quarterback in the first round. The Giants’ plan to sit Jaxson Dart in his rookie season, allowing him to develop behind veteran QB Russell Wilson. But with Brian Daboll on the hot seat, the team may not have the luxury of waiting on the former Ole Miss standout.
ESPN NFL insider Dan Graziano points out that many teams have headed into a season with the intention of redshirting a rookie quarterback.
“But the reality is, it rarely works out… Unless the Giants are scoring points and winning games at a surprising rate early in the season, it feels inevitable that they reach a point where it’s time to see what Dart can do,” Graziano wrote.
Will Brian Daboll turn to Jaxson Dart as Giants starter in 2025?
Well before taking Dart in the draft, the Giants stocked up on veteran passers. New York signed Wilson to a one-year, $21 million contract with the assumption he’d be the team’s starter in 2025. The Giants also landed Jameis Winston on a two-year, $8 million deal to work as the backup QB.
Now Dart’s presence complicates the quarterback room. But Wilson isn’t worried about Dart. The 13-year veteran is attempting to build on a solid if unspectacular season with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024. After beginning last year sidelined by an injury, Wilson took over as the Steelers’ starter and led the team to the playoffs. It was a marked improvement over the two lost seasons he spent with the Denver Broncos.
Still, entering his age-37 campaign, Wilson’s best days are likely behind him. And while he’s still capable of being a serviceable starter, it is entirely conceivable that Daboll, with his job on the line, eventually turns to Dart. After all, the Giants coach hand-picked the rookie as the team’s quarterback of the future.
While Dart stood out in minicamp, the young passer seems to understand his place in the Giants’ QB hierarchy, at least for now. And while fellow first-rounder Abdul Carter will have the opportunity to make an impact early in the 2025 season, Dart will need to wait his turn. In the meantime he'll be absorbing all he can from the veteran signal callers on the team and staying prepared.
