The New York Giants have officially made one of the biggest choices of the newly started NFL season; head coach Brian Daboll said that rookie Jaxson Dart would be the team’s starting quarterback, replacing veteran Russell Wilson.

This choice is already a popular storyline in football among fans of the Giants, and just general fans of the sport. The Giants opened the season 0-3; their offense looked completely lifeless, and it had a tough time not only advancing the ball but also putting points on the board. This is why the team determined that a major change needed to take place.

Leadership, as well as steadying play, was supposed to be what Wilson brought to the Giants, but through the first three games, even that didn’t materialize. Wilson has had a long, checkered career of his own, and one filled with highlights, including a Super Bowl victory. But in Week 3, when the Giants played from behind early and never recovered and Jones completed only 18 of 32 passes for 160 yards while throwing two interceptions, both on heaved fourth-quarter passes from his own territory everybody saw him struggle.

At MetLife Stadium, fans were even chanting about Jaxson Dart, who did not play or enroll until the game was out of reach, which shows how excited they were to see the freshman quarterback get an opportunity.

Believing in Dart as their future quarterback was also proven when the Giants’ front office selected him with the 25th pick after a 2025 NFL Draft trade. During the preseason, Dart gave the Giants reason to be hopeful. He connected with 32 out of his 47 attempts, and got 372 yards with three touchdowns. He also didn’t throw a single interception once. It also demonstrates the athleticism and mobility that set him apart from Wilson.

Dart, 23, is not a prodigious athlete, but his youth and energy and his ability to extend plays with the legs are giving their offense a different dimension, an element of surprise that can play into calls against some obviously heavy formations for him it’s made easier by Dart’s legs working better than Smith’s at this point. Even though he has never thrown a pass in a regular-season game, fans anticipate his success. The coaching staff believe in him as well.

However, beginning as a rookie is fraught with great danger because the speed of NFL defenses and the complexity of playbooks and the weight of expectation to succeed in New York City are things no preseason can fully mimic.

But Wilson has to his credit handled the benching professionally, saying he’ll back Dart and continue to be a mentor for him, something that could perhaps be more important as Dart tries to figure out how playing in every game shakes out. Wilson is far from a starter, but he provides help for the Giants if Dart performs badly or gets hurt . His presence in the locker room might keep the players motivated during what could be a long season.

For now, that is as clear an indication as you can get that the Giants are planning long-term and want to see if Jaxson Dart can be what Malik Willis is trying to become for the Falcons, their face of the franchise. If he plays well, the Giants can actually attempt to make a run at this thing and steamroll momentum into a dark future sans gaping patterns on offense; if he’s an abomination, the club has to answer, even shiver at,.questions whether they now need to reset their quarterback search.

He was 32 for 47 and got 372 yards and three touchdowns on his side, doing so with no interceptions. It also explains the kind of player he is when matched with Wilson. Dart who is just 23 years old is not incredibly athletic but since he has the legs and energy as well as the ability to do marvelous feats with legs it completely altered their offensive scheme making it an unpredictable one catching defenses unguardedly because he will be starting against some obviously heavy formations, just for now Smith’s legs don’t make a big difference while Dart’s legs help to simplify everything. (even though he didn’t attempt any pass in a regular-season game yet). Coaches feel that.

For the moment, though, the Giants are asking fans to be patient, knowing that there may be a learning curve here but also that hope is intoxicating and Jaxson Dart has given them an excuse for once to believe that the present might actually be better than their pasts.