“We want Dart!” A faint echo, maybe, but for anyone who was there Sunday night to watch a lifeless offense, it was a roar. The sound had been a brutal, public verdict on a Super Bowl-winning quarterback. Russel Wilson was booed off his turf by a fan base starved for a new, fresher hope. 

After a grueling 0-3 start and a series of offensive failures, the New York Giants are benching Wilson for rookie Jaxson Dart. When asked about the monumental decision, Daboll’s words were a study in stoic restraint. “So in terms of the quarterback situation, I met both with Russ yesterday and Jackson privately,“ he said.

“And Russ was nothing but a pro, which I would expect them to be.” Daboll continued, “It’s my decision going with Jackson. We’re going to get him ready to play this week and the remainder of the Season. He’s going to do everything he can. Russ will be the backup. The conversations that I’ve had with these young men will be private. The details will be private. All I can tell you is we’re going with Jackson, and we’re getting ready to play. So I’m not going to add too much to it. Those are private conversations, it’s my decision, and we’re going with Jackson.“ The coach repeated this phrase, “it’s my decision,”  Shutting down all the questions on why this decision was made. Is this the end for Wilson? Only time will tell.

And the stats, for all their cold objectivity, provided the full, damning context for the silence. In a year where the Giants’ offense has been nothing short of a ghost, the numbers speak for themselves. Wilson, a future Hall of Famer, currently ranks 30th out of 32 qualified quarterbacks in Total QBR.

The offensive line has been a sieve, allowing him to be hit a league-leading 40 times this season, a figure that stings for a guy who has spent a decade avoiding contact with a magician’s flair. In a brutal Week 3 loss to the Chiefs, Wilson managed just 160 passing yards and a pair of crushing interceptions. The team’s red zone offense is a tragedy.

The old king’s performance has been a disaster, and Daboll’s repeated, clipped justifications, “The conversations that I’ve had with these young men will be private,” and “The details will be private”, and this is what Wilson had to say. The move is as much about Dart as it is about Wilson.

Future, or just a leap of faith?

The thing is, fans have been chanting for the kid ever since he showed flashes of brilliance during the preseason. The moment he ran out for a brief-but-electric zone-read snap against the Chiefs, the boos turned to cheers. That’s the rub, isn’t it? The Giants have been an abyss of disappointment. They haven’t won a playoff game in years. And in this kid, they see not just a new QB, but a new dawn.

A dual-threat in college, Dart’s numbers at Ole Miss were nothing short of incredible. He broke single-season records for total offense (4,774 yds) and passing yards (4,279), while helping the team to its first 11-win season. The hope is that his athleticism, his ability to scramble and extend plays, will give the offense a different look.

As Daboll put it, “It’s not always going to be perfect, but I do think that he has the right makeup and athleticism…” It’s a statement that rings with a mix of cautious optimism and desperate faith, as Dart revered bluntly.

But Russ ain’t backing down on his role in the team. He still has his passion: “I’m focused on helping this team win, I’m focused on helping Jaxson. I’m focused on me getting ready to be the best version of me today. And so, I wanna be here.”

So now, a rookie with zero career passing attempts in the regular season gets the ball. He’ll face an undefeated  Chargers (with a defense that is currently allowing under 300 YDs per game) team this Sunday. A brutal first test, but maybe that’s the point. It’s a baptism by fire, a trial that mirrors the impossible situation Daboll finds himself in. He’s taking a chance on a future that may or may not be there.