Russell Wilson is the starter, and he has the confidence of his teammates and coaches. But that hasn’t stopped the Washington Commanders from preparing for rookie Jaxson Dart entering Week 1. This past week, the Washington defense schemed for both quarterbacks — just in case Daboll decides to give the rookie some live action. We might not actually see Dart on Sunday, but the Giants have been throwing everything at him, treating him almost like a starter.
Dart’s first training camp had a distinctly Bill Belichickian feel. Daboll spent years on Belichick’s Patriots staffs, and he’s borrowing some old tricks to test the rookie: having him hear plays shouted from the sideline instead of through a headset, making him go out for the pregame coin toss with no warning, and dropping him into uncomfortable practice situations just to see how he responds.
That’s the philosophy Daboll learned in New England: Make practice chaotic, and Sundays start to feel easier.
So far, Dart has weathered it all. One source close to the Giants told me the rookie “can handle the moment.” His early poise hasn’t surprised the team, but it has impressed them. His personality is said to be a perfect match for Daboll, and he’s soaked up all of the guidance and coaching he can, both from the staff and the team’s veteran QBs.
And with one of the sharpest offensive minds in football guiding the 22-year-old, the quarterback subplot in New York is only heating up. If losses mount during a brutal early schedule, urgency will rise, and the pressure on Wilson’s starting job will only grow.
The Jaxson Dart era might not just be part of a future story. It could begin very soon.