Quarterback Russell Wilson was signed to help fix the New York Giants’ weak offense. But after a tough first game in Week 1, doubts are growing. The team couldn’t score a touchdown, and now one NFL insider is suggesting a big change that could impact the Giants moving forward.

NFL insider Tom Pelissero suggested that the New York Giants could consider benching quarterback Russell Wilson and giving rookie Jaxson Dart a chance to start. “The one move they can make to potentially change how things are going is to bench Russell Wilson and put in Jaxson Dart,” he said on The Rich Eisen Show on September 12.

He further added, “This goes all the way to the front office. This goes to ownership.” That means it’s not just about head coach Brian Daboll, even Wilson’s future is part of a broader organizational discussion.

The case for a switch is getting louder after Week 1. Wilson’s debut with the Giants was rough. He went 17 for 37 for just 168 yards, no touchdowns, and a 59.3 passer rating. He was sacked twice, coughed up a fumble, and the Giants offense never found the end zone in a 21-6 loss to Washington.

That stat alone puts them in dubious history. They are the first team since the 1940s Lions to go three straight openers without scoring a touchdown. This was not supposed to be how it started.

Wilson and the first-string offense looked sharp in the preseason, but when it counted, the rhythm vanished. The drives were flat. The throws missed by inches. Mr. Unlimited managed just 4.5 yards per attempt, a number that screams inefficiency. Every stalled possession only intensifies the calls for Dart, who is not just a clipboard-holder.

Pelissero pointed out, “Jaxson Dart is there. He looked really good in the preseason.” Jaxson Dart completed 32 of 47 passes for 372 yards, 3 touchdowns, and no interceptions in the 2025 preseason, adding 52 rushing yards and a score, proving he’s ready for more than a backup role. But Pelissero also issued caution.

“You want to be careful about how you approach that, making sure that you’re setting Jaxson Dart up for success.” Throwing Dart in mid-game against Dallas might do more harm than good. Still, the clock is ticking.

The Giants’ schedule is not forgiving, and each loss makes the switch more likely. Pelissero put it bluntly. “Every time that the offense stumbles, anytime Russell Wilson doesn’t play well, the heat’s only going to rise in New York.”

The pressure is real now. Wilson has to deliver, not just look serviceable. And once Dart takes that first snap, there might be no going back.

Russell Wilson vs Cowboys is a chess game

Russell Wilson is now the Giants’ quarterback, and Brian Schottenheimer is the Dallas Cowboys’ head coach, old friends turned rivals. Schottenheimer still remembers Wilson’s game, how he escapes the pocket, throws deep balls, and what throws him off. Their three seasons together with the Seattle Seahawks gave him plenty of notes.

“Yeah, I think that’s the fun part of the chess match that we love so much as coaches and players, and why you look forward to playing against your friends,” Schottenheimer said. This is not just film study. This is personal.

And he is not the only one with intel. “I’m not the only one that knows Russ,” Schottenheimer said. “In the defensive room there’s Andre Curtis. He was with Russ for a long time, actually longer than I was.” Two coaches. Two sets of notes. Few quarterbacks face that much familiarity in one game.

The Cowboys lead the all-time series against the Giants 77-47-2, including ties, and have won eight straight games since 2021. With Mr. Unlimited under center, the New York Giants still have a real chance to turn things around.

In his 2024 season with the Steelers, after missing six games, Wilson started 12, threw for 2,482 yards, 16 TDs, 5 INTs, and led the team to a playoff appearance. However, his 2025 preseason did not go well, completing 10 of 14 passes for 136 yards with one interception and no touchdowns across two games, though his experience still carries weight in the quarterback room.

If the Cowboys know Wilson well, he knows their coaching style and defensive schemes just as deeply. It is not just a rivalry game. It is a chess match, one built on three years of shared history, and one that ends Sunday night.