New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson will be tasked with more than just leading the 2025 offense. He’ll be asked to mentor Jaxson Dart and lead the team through the turbulence that may come.
But for much of the roster, Dart’s long-term fate isn’t a huge priority. They may not be on the next good Giants team. In such a ruthless game, they may not even be in the league at all when Dart starts Week 1 of the 2026 season. Players will do what they can to make Dart successful, but performing on Sundays comes first.
For as long as Wilson is the starter, New York will trust him to give the team the best chance to win. By default, he should be an upgrade over Daniel Jones, and his teammates are already taking notice.
Receiver Wan’Dale Robinson revealed his first impression of Wilson after the Giants’ organized team activities (OTAs) on Thursday.
“That deep ball just drops right in the bucket, for sure,” Robinson said. “And then whenever he's throwing just the shorter routes and stuff like that, it kind of comes in like a pillow. It's really, really easy to catch, which I like.”
Wilson is far from a sure thing. His play is volatile, winning six of his first seven starts in 2024 before losing five consecutive games, including the AFC Wild Card Round contest against the Baltimore Ravens. He can avoid the middle of the field and make questionable plays under pressure, too.
But even Wilson’s decline has been more effective than recent quarterbacking in New York. Since 2022 (and coincidentally in 2024 itself), he has posted 0.019 expected points added per play, a below-average mark that falls between Aaron Rodgers and Bryce Young’s production from this past season. In the Brian Daboll era, the Giants have generated -0.054 expected points added per dropback, ahead of just four teams (rbsdm).
Wilson, undeniably, is an upgrade. Robinson, and seemingly his peers in the receiving room, know it.
“Even the first time we threw, me and (Darius) Slay(ton) were both like, this is actually better than we expected,” he said. “And so, no, we were ecstatic about it, and couldn't be more happy that he's our quarterback.”