The New York Giants’ handling of their quarterback situation this spring has felt somewhat scattershot. They first signed Jameis Winston, presumably as a backup or bridge. Then they signed Russell Wilson, who is coming off an up-and-down season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, presumably to be the starter.
However, there were many reports about their interest in Shedeur Sanders and how they were attempting to trade up for Cam Ward at No. 1 overall. Instead, they went with the unexpected third option: trading back into the first round for the No. 3 QB on most big boards, Jaxson Dart.
When the Giants signed Wilson for $20 million, it seemed like they’d made their QB decision despite their supposed interest in some of the top QBs in the draft. However, when they took edge rusher Abdul Carter No. 3 overall, Wilson’s spot seemed safe. Right up until the No. 25 pick. Then, his leash “shortened” considerably. As Chase Daniel says, teams don’t draft QBs in the first round just to not play them.
“The second that Jaxson Dart got drafted and the New York Giants traded up for him, I believe that Russell Wilson’s leash was shortened. And that’s just going back to the old adage. If you take a quarterback in the first round man, he’s gonna play. And he’s gonna play right away. Since 2020, on average a quarterback drafted in the first round starts in Week 3. So his leash? Four weeks. Three weeks.”
Daniel did acknowledge that Wilson, a Super Bowl champion, has had a Hall of Fame-caliber career. However, he also pointed out that he has not been playing like that of late. Wilson had a great run to start his Steelers sojourn last year, going 6-1. The bottom fell out of his season, however, as he lost the final five games, including an embarrassing Wild Card playoff loss to the rival Baltimore Ravens.
Daniel went on to say that he believes the decisions surrounding the QB this year will be made by head coach Brian Daboll in an effort to ensure he gets one more crack at it in 2026. Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen are on a razor’s edge right now. To that end, they’re likely to try and create a situation where Jaxson Dart can “instill hope in that fanbase” heading into 2026.
“The safest way, in my opinion, for Brian Daboll to keep his job, is to have some success, with Jaxson Dart, and instill hope in that fanbase, instill hope in that organization,” he stated.
“They’re gonna have a good defense. That defensive line might be the best in football. They’re gonna play defense. If Russell doesn’t turn the ball over it’s gonna be hard for him to lose his job,” he added.
However, a quality defense and a risk-averse Russell Wilson could lead to an aggressively mediocre campaign. If that happens, in Daniel’s opinion, it will mean the axe for all the decision-makers for Big Blue right now.
“But if you win 8-9 games with Russell Wilson and you don’t make the playoffs, you’re getting fired. Every one of you. The front office, the owner’s cleaning house. Daboll’s out. Joe Schoen’s out. Everyone’s out,” he started.
“If you can show some promise with Jaxson Dart, who is not ready to play right away, let’s be completely honest, he’s not ready. They took a flier on him because they believe he can turn into a franchise quarterback. But … a first round pick, he’s going to play,” he added.
Wilson is the better QB right now, but in terms of potential and ceiling, Dart leaves no room for comparison. New York will have to hope that Dart, who is certainly a project, will be ready if the 36-year-old Wilson falters.
