Jaxson Dart may have revealed why Giants held onto Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston through trade deadline

Many outsiders assumed the New York Giants would look to sell either Russell Wilson or fellow veteran quarterback Jameis Winston ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline since rookie Jaxson Dart is cemented atop the team's depth chart. 

Nevertheless, both Wilson and Winston remained with a 2-7 Giants team that likely is already out of the playoff hunt. While speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Dart may have unintentionally revealed why the Giants held onto his two mentors when he was asked how they've helped him from springtime workouts through this fall. 

Jaxson Dart praises Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston as "great leaders"

"They've just been great leaders," Dart explained, per the Giants' website. "Guys who I can always rely on and ask questions. They do a really good job of holding themselves accountable and coming to work every single day with the right mindset. They hold that standard for themselves and everybody around them. It's been great to have those guys in my room. We spend a lot of time together, even when our schedule is off. We obviously have a really good relationship off the field as well. It's been great to have those two as mentors, for sure."

The Giants signed Winston to a two-year contract before head coach Brian Daboll confirmed on the opening night of the draft that Wilson would be the club's QB1. Daboll benched Wilson in favor of Dart after three straight losses, and Dart has since gone 2-4. 

"He's like a coach on the field, in the film room where we spend extra time," Dart added about Winston, who has spent the season serving as the Giants' third-choice option. "He's a lot of time quizzing me constantly. He's teaching me things that he's gone through in his past. At the same time, our relationship goes far beyond just the football field and personal life. Handling things that you do good, things that you need to improve on. ...For the team, he brings so much energy, optimism and positivity every single day. He's a guy who never wavers, regardless of what's going on around him. It's been a blessing to have him in my corner, for sure."

Jaxson Dart shares big admission about trying to stay positive amid frustrating season

Outside of the losing, Dart has also had to endure watching No. 1 wide receiver Malik Nabers (torn ACL and meniscus) and rookie running back Cam Skattebo (dislocation of his right ankle/fractured fibula/ruptured deltoid ligament) go down with season-ending injuries. 

"It's tough," Dart admitted about trying to stay positive amid the setbacks that have impacted the Giants since September. "You put a lot of work in, and you're not getting the results in the win-loss category. You just have to keep steadfast in your process. I have confidence in everybody around me. I feel like we can definitely go on a run. We just have to take it one step at a time and find a way to get one win."

The Giants will try to start that run when they play at the Chicago Bears (5-3) this Sunday. As of Thursday morning, ESPN BET had Big Blue as a 4.5-point underdog for that game.