Giants HC Confirms Stance on Benching Russell Wilson After Confrontation With Malik Nabers

Brian Daboll and the Giants would never want a season opening like this, especially when the HC is one of the head coaches on the hot seat in 2025. We’re talking about a 21-6 loss over the division rivals, the Commanders, here. Russell Wilson and the offense struggled tremendously throughout the game. The quarterback completed just 17-of-37 passes for 168 yards without scoring a touchdown. Which naturally raised the question: Could Daboll bench Wilson in place of the rookie QB, Jaxson Dart?

Well, if you ask the head coach, he’ll shut down any talk about benching Wilson for Dart in a heartbeat. After the Commanders torched the Giants in their season opener, Daboll was asked if he considered putting Dart in the game. His response? “I did not,” Daboll said. Daboll and the Giants now have a knack for rotating quarterbacks.

It’s almost every season’s story now. When they picked Dart in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft, the big question for the HC was obvious: Would Dart see the field if Wilson struggled? The reasoning was simple: Dart performed really well in the exhibition games last month. Over three preseason games, the rookie completed 32 of 47 passes (68%) for 372 yards, with three touchdowns and no interceptions.

But it didn’t take long for that scenario to show up. Russell Wilson struggled in the season opener. Everyone looked at Daboll to see if he was considering benching him for Dart. Turns out, the HC had confidence in Wilson. “We’re just right here after the game,” Daboll said. “I got confidence in Russell. We gotta do better around overall — coaches, players, around everybody. . . . We’re gonna go back, we’ll evaluate the tape. This game isn’t on Russell Wilson. I want to make that clear.” And rightfully so.

Wilson definitely struggled. He’s not the MVP-level guy we saw back in Seattle anymore. But Daboll still trusts his experience. This was Wilson’s 200th regular-season start, and he’s 121-77-1 as a starter, with 101 games posting a 100+ passer rating. So yeah, Daboll is sticking with him and backing his veteran QB? Totally makes sense. And Dart?

Well, he’s still expected to get an opportunity at the right time. Sunday afternoon wasn’t that moment, though. Meanwhile, it’s Daboll’s relationship with the second-year wideout that’s raising eyebrows now.

Tension is brewing between Malik Nabers and Brian Daboll

The Giants were supposed to be better this season, but Week 1 felt a lot like last year. The Commanders shredded their offensive line and got constant pressure on Wilson. He struggled, connecting on just 5 of 12 passes to his top wideout, Malik Nabers, for 71 yards. As for Wan’Dale Robinson, he also chipped in with 8 catches for 55 yards. And the running game?

Yeah, it struggled as well. Wilson led the running game with 44 yards on 8 carries. As for running backs Tyrone Tracy Jr., Devin Singletary, and rookie Cam Skattebo, the three of them combined for just 30 yards on 15 carries. The result? A disappointing loss to the Commanders. No doubt, the second-year wideout, Nabers, had an awkward moment with the HC. The events unfolded after the first quarter wrapped up.

Nabers and Daboll were caught in a verbal altercation. The coach was clearly frustrated with something Nabers did on the previous drive, and the wideout fired back. Later, as the team huddled to get back on the field, Daboll went in for a high-five—and Nabers just left him hanging. While it’s still unclear what exactly went down between the HC and the wideout, one thing’s clear: you could almost read it as a little tension building under the surface between Daboll and Nabers.