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Nov 9, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels quarterback Jaxson Dart (2) runs the ball during the second half against the Georgia Bulldogs at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Giants Quarterback Competition Needs to Wait

Originally posted on New York Giants on SI
By Alex House | Last updated May 3, 2025 3:00 AM ET

New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll finally have the quarterback they hope will lead their franchise for the foreseeable future.

They handpicked Jaxson Dart to be the Giants' franchise quarterback. Schoen completed a deal with the Houston Texans at the 2025 NFL Draft, sending two second-round picks and a third-rounder in exchange for the No. 25 overall selection. New York pounced on the Ole Miss star.

With the plan in motion and quarterback Dart’s eventually leading the team, the question for some is how soon the young gunslinger will take over the offense.

In all likelihood, it won’t be this year as head coach Brian Daboll has already declared Russell Wilson as the team's starting quarterback for the upcoming campaign. But could Dart, who is expected to have a redshirt season as a rookie, eventually see the field sooner than later?

If the 21-year-old out of Kaysville, Utah, shows rapid growth during training camp and the preseason, Daboll could throw caution to the wind and give Dart some snaps in a mop-up role if the young quarterback isn’t designated as the emergency quarterback.

But that’s unlikely to happen, nor should it, not after the Giants rushed Daniel Jones onto the field in 2019 only to see his career go off the rails. And no, despite what anyone says, there should not be a flat-out competition.

Giants should let Dart develop organically

New York has invested heavily in Dart and little in Wilson, who signed a one-year contract worth $10.5 million guaranteed. Wilson’s presence is precisely why the team must take time with the rookie.

Wilson and Jameis Winston should carry the offense this year while working with Dart to help him learn what to look for and the intricacies of calling protections at the NFL level. Rushing Dart onto the field would be detrimental to the rookie’s development and the franchise’s future.

The Giants need to trust the experienced signal-caller and Super Bowl champion to help make the team competitive again. If Wilson succeeds, this regime will have the time to mold Dart properly. Jumping the gun could have disastrous ramifications.

Although Big Blue boasts a vastly improved roster replenished with talent and depth, the newcomer will presumably face a steep learning curve. It’s not so much that Dart can’t handle the adjustment–he faced significant adversity in the daunting SEC. He did not experience many roadblocks that a professional quarterback faces.

Dart can make all the throws, which he showed while completing 69.3 percent of his passes for 4,279 yards and 29 touchdowns last season. But timing and decision-making are everything.

He has a better chance at honing those traits by sitting on the bench for a year and studying his craft.

When Jaxson Dart better grasps the intricacies of quarterbacking, Daboll will ideally have a versatile and prepared leader he can unleash on the rest of the NFL.

Exercising patience could be the difference between a bright future and another back-breaking setback. The Giants have to get the Dart experiment just right; this feels like the best way to do it.

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