Last season, the New York Giants had a revolving door of players under center. They rectified this in the offseason by making a drastic upgrade at the position to serve as a sort of stopgap for the future. As mandatory minicamp comes to a close, this addition already seems to be resulting in change within the team's approach.
After trading into the end of the first round of the NFL Draft, the Giants potentially found their quarterback of the future in Jaxson Dart. However, the organization is taking an old-school approach to his development. Instead of throwing him right in the mix, he'll spend year one as a backup to adjust to life in the NFL. Dart's mentor will be none other than Super Bowl-winning quarterback Russell Wilson, who inked a one-year deal with New York in free agency.
Wilson is coming off a season where he had to battle for the starting QB spot with Justin Fields on the Pittsburgh Steelers. He ended up taking over the role for the back half of the 2024 campaign, posting a 6-5 record in 11 starts. Now with the Giants, Willson will serve as a short-term solution at QB while Dart waits to take the reigns.
Though he's had a fall from grace since his time with the Seattle Seahawks, Wilson was still once among the NFL's elite quarterbacks. His presence is an upgrade for New York, who is fresh off a failed experience with Daniel Jones. Having Wilson around has also resulted in the Giants tweaking their preparation plans for the 2025 season.
Earlier this week, Giants coach Brian Daboll opened up about the team getting more live reps in a 7-on-7 setting. He also cited that this change was spearheaded by Wilson, who suggested it to him.
"That's something that Russell feels really good about," Daboll told reporters, according to the NY Post. "We've added some competitive periods where they have to play the situations out. Not that we didn't do that, but we've placed a little bit more emphasis on it. And not just a third-down situation, but maybe a quarter in a game, time left, score. We've done pretty much, I'd say every day we've done a little bit of that."
Wilson has a lot riding on how he performs with the Giants, and he wants to make sure he's as ready as possible. With Dart already on the roster, New York has their quarterback for the future. That means this year is an audition for him to showcase his talents to the rest of the league as he looks to remain a starter in the NFL beyond 2025.
Even if his time with the Giants ends up being brief, Wilson already seems to be leaving an imprint on the franchise.
Related Articles
Latest Malik Nabers Update is Promising for NY Giants
Why Malik Nabers Is Missing NY Giants' OTAs
NY Giants Lit Fire for Packers' Free Agent Addition
Former NY Giants QB Gives Perspective on Emotional Exit
2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
This story was originally published June 14, 2025 at 4:09 PM.