Giants' Russell Wilson will start at QB in Week 2
New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson during a news conference after a game against the Washington Commanders on Sept. 7, 2025, in Landover, Md. Credit: AP/Stephanie Scarbrough
There will be no change at quarterback for the Giants. Russell Wilson will remain the starter for Sunday’s game at Dallas.
Coach Brian Daboll affirmed his commitment to Wilson despite not clearly stating that after the Giants’ season-opening 21-6 loss to the Commanders on Sunday.
“In terms of making any of those decisions at any position or schematic changes, I’d like to do it with a clear head and watch the tape,” Daboll said Monday via Zoom. “Like I said yesterday, that game just doesn’t fall on Russell Wilson. We got to do a better job collectively . . . but Russ will be our starter.”
Wilson went 17-for-37 for 168 yards and added 44 rushing yards in his Giants debut. The offense mustered only 231 yards and was held without a touchdown for a third consecutive season opener.
According to OptaStats, that’s the first time that’s happened to an NFL team since the Lions from 1940-42.
Had Wilson been replaced, rookie Jaxson Dart is next up. It would have been reminiscent of another rookie quarterback Daboll worked with when Josh Allen took over at halftime of his first game and started the Bills’ second game. Allen struggled early, but things eventually worked out for the NFL’s reigning MVP.
Whatever the Giants feel about Dart’s potential, his present situation remains watching and learning from Wilson.
Receiver Darius Slayton said Wilson has the support of the locker room and cautioned against rushing Dart too soon.
“The reality is that things take time, and not everything is just a 9-1-1 situation,” Slayton said Monday on a Zoom call. “We have good coaches, we have a good quarterback in Russell Wilson, and, you know, it’s one week.
“I think in the history of football, if you kind of look at the history of football, it hasn’t always served people well to just throw people in the fire. Because I know that I wouldn’t want to be thrown in the fire like that.”
Daboll said Wilson made good decisions and that his play was part of a collective problem. The Giants never got into a rhythm on early downs and failed to finish their two drives in the red zone.
The running game was nonexistent outside of Wilson, with the running backs totaling 30 yards on 15 carries. Tyrone Tracy Jr. had 24 yards on 10 carries.
“It’s a collective. It’s not just Russ when you talk about this whole thing,” Daboll said. “It’s the entire offense. Everybody, as far as me, coaches, players, we got to do a better job collectively.”
Wilson also got little help from his offensive line. Left tackle Andrew Thomas (foot) was ruled out, so James Hudson started in his place. Wilson was 2-for-12 while under pressure, according to ESPN Stats.
Daboll didn’t foresee making any changes on the offensive line. It is not known if Thomas will be available Sunday, but last Friday was his first time doing team drills.
For now, Wilson is part of the plan to figure things out. The Giants hope to avoid a second straight 0-2 start as they face a Cowboys team that has beaten them eight straight times.
It’s a task that Slayton believes would be even harder for a rookie quarterback. That’s one reason why the team believes in Wilson to get things right while Dart waits on the sideline.
“[Dart] obviously believes he’s a good football player. We believe he’s a good football player. But at the same time, this league is hard. This league is tough,” Slayton said. “You see players get chewed up and spit out all the time by this league, which is something I would never want to happen to him.
“So as far as all that goes, like I said, [Daboll] said Russ is our starter, Russ is our starter for however long, whatever, and he’s playing. he’s going to play good ball. We’re going to play good ball as an offense, and whenever Jaxson’s time comes, it comes.”
Notes & quotes: Daboll said linebacker Micah McFadden did not break his leg Sunday and that the team would have a firmer update on his status Tuesday. McFadden left the game on a cart after being injured while making a tackle.
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.
