Jaxson Dart to start for Giants in Week 4 vs. Chargers, source says
Jaxson Dart of the Giants warms up on the sidelines during the second half against Kansas City at MetLife Stadium on Sunday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
The Jaxson Dart era has now begun.
The Giants will start the rookie first-round pick at quarterback against the undefeated Chargers at MetLife Stadium, a league source confirmed to Newsday. Dart takes over from Russell Wilson after three games.
Dart's been groomed as the Giants’ future quarterback since he was drafted in April. Coach Brian Daboll made clear in the spring that Wilson, who was signed in March, would open the season as the starter.
However, Wilson struggled and Giants started 0-3 for the first time since 2021. He threw for 778 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions, with 450 of those yards coming against the Cowboys on Sept. 14.
In his other two games, Wilson had zero touchdowns and less than 200 yards in each start. Wilson's 59.1% completion rate is the lowest of his career.
Dart, meanwhile, played three snaps in the each of the last two games. Four were handoffs and two were short running plays. But the Ole Miss product showed promise in the preseason by going 32-for-47 for 372 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions in three games and ran for 52 yards.
“I’m just trying to be a really good teammate,” Dart said last Sunday. “Anytime [Russell] comes off to the sideline, I like to just kind of listen to what he has to say to know his perspective on things and then get the coaching points from the coaches and try to do my best to encourage the guys around me."
Wilson’s days were numbered after Sunday’s 22-9 loss to Kansas City. He threw two interceptions -- his first multi-interception game since Dec. 3, 2023 -- and finished 17-for-37 for 160 yards while being booed in the second half.
On his second-to-last drive, Wilson ended with three high passes out of the end zone after getting to first-and-goal at the 4-yard line. Daboll wouldn’t commit to Wilson leading the offense after the Giants scored fewer than 10 points for the second time this season.
“I'm not saying who's starting or who's not starting. I'm just saying we're evaluating everything right now,” Daboll said Monday.
Wilson signed a one-year, $10 million contract this offseason. He started 202 games to open his career, becoming just the fourth quarterback in NFL history to start their first 200 games.
But the Giants’ offense didn’t improve. Through three games, they’re 31st in third-down conversions, 31st in red-zone efficiency and 27th in points per game.
Save for the Cowboys’ loss, there was no change from an offense that ranked 30th last season in total yards and yards per play, 27th on third-down conversions and last in red-zone efficiency.
Wilson’s 20% red-zone completion rate (4-for-20) was the lowest of any quarterback who has completed at least one pass inside the 20-yard-line. It’s a reason Daboll said there were designed packages for Dart in such situations.
Whenever Dart entered, it was mostly for one play before checking out. On Sunday, Dart played consecutive snaps for the first time, both handoffs to Cam Skattebo.
“It’s definitely different,” Dart said last Sunday. “You get really excited when you are on the field and then your emotions have to calm back down when you are on the sideline. I’m just trying to do my job.
Per reports, Daboll informed both quarterbacks Monday of the change. For the first time in his career, Wilson will serve as a backup.
Dart started three seasons at Ole Miss after transferring from USC. The Giants traded up to draft him with the 25th overall pick. For Daboll, it was the first time he was part of drafting a quarterback since 2018 when, as Bills offensive coordinator, he mentored Josh Allen.
Allen debuted at halftime of the Bills’ first game and became the starter in Week 2. Now Dart will make his first start in his fourth game, two games later than Daniel Jones did when he took over from Eli Manning in 2019.
It's a move that adds more pressure on the Giants to turn things around. Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen entered this season on the hot seat and it hasn't helped that the Giants have lost 14 of their last 15 games.
Dart was drafted with the hope of changing the franchise's fortunes. That challenge begins Sunday as he'll hope to add life - and wins - to an offense that badly needs a spark against the Chargers' eighth-ranked defense in the NFL.
Notes
The Giants signed kicker Younghoe Koo to the practice squad. Koo was waived last Friday by the Falcons after seven seasons. Giants kicker Graham Gano (groin) was injured during pregame introductions and sat out the first half of Sunday’s loss. The Giants released linebacker Curtis Jacobs from the practice squad in a corresponding move.
Evan Barnes covers the Giants for Newsday. He previously covered the Brooklyn Nets, Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.
