It’s early August, and East Rutherford feels different. There’s no official quarterback controversy. Not yet. But there’s a quiet intensity in the New York Giants’ camp that wasn’t there a year ago. Maybe it’s the weight of a 3–14 season. Or maybe, it’s the presence of a 36-year-old Super Bowl champion guiding a locker room full of youth and uncertainty. Whatever it is, Brian Daboll is setting the tone. And he made part of it clear today. Because even if they want sudden results with Russell Wilson, the front office wants insurance on the future.

Enter Jaxson Dart, drafted 25th overall in April after the team traded up, poised at the center of their quarterback drama. Nominally a QB3, behind Wilson and Jameis Winston, Dart’s momentum is undeniable. HC Brian Daboll praised Dart’s preparation. “Nobody’s rushing him… he did what he was supposed to do… I appreciate how he’s gone about his business,” the coach said. Jaxson Dart brings rare experience for a rookie, with 39 college starts with Ole Miss, and a standout final season, throwing for 4,279 yards and 29 touchdowns while rushing for 495 yards.

He now faces stiff competition in a deep Giants QB room that includes Wilson, Winston, and the returning starter Tommy DeVito. But even these obstacles were taken with grace by Dart. And the HC himself confirmed Dart’s first step to NFL glory. In a shocking development, to say the least, Dart has left behind his stature as the Giants’ QB3… He is the starter, and, no, we don’t mean ‘he will possibly start mid-season,’ it’s the preseason opener against the Buffalo Bills.

Giants.com’s Dan Salomone relayed Daboll’s decision: Dart will play, setting the stage for a pivotal test. Salomone broke the news on X: “Brian Daboll confirmed that rookie QB Jaxson Dart will play Saturday against the Bills.” After the Giants selected Dart in the first round, it was obvious his development would be one of the key storylines this season. Now, two weeks into his first NFL training camp, Dart has shown exactly what you’d expect from a rookie quarterback: flashes of promise mixed with a few growing pains. But beyond the on-field execution. The coaching staff has enjoyed how quickly the rookie’s fit in. His understanding of the playbook is evolving, and it’s starting to show in how he carries himself during reps and meetings.

The team targeted Dart ‘relatively early’ in the evaluation process, citing his poise, versatility, and ability to perform under pressure. Wilson remains firmly the starter, and assistant head coach/offensive coordinator Mike Kafka believes in the path Dart is on, only if he remains himself. “Every day we’re presenting him. Not just him. But all the quarterbacks… With different situations, and some situations you’ve probably never seen before. Those have been good to build off of, whether it’s in two-minute, whether it’s a third-down situation or a certain blitz look that we’re getting, he’s able to kind of grow and learn from those examples and now as he starts banking more and more looks, more and more reps. We do a lot of this throughout the walkthrough as well; he can kind of see. Now he’s starting to put the picture together a little bit better and cleaner for a rookie.”

Yet as Dart slowly earns the trust of the staff and inches forward in his development, the Giants know the rookie won’t be asked to do it all right away. That’s where Russell Wilson’s presence becomes crucial. The veteran isn’t just here to manage games; he’s here to set the tone, stabilize the locker room, and buy time while Dart continues to learn in the background.

QB Russell Wilson finally sees a sign of hope in the Giants Locker room

Even though Jaxson Dart gets things going for the Giants with the preseason opener against the Bills, his early work in camp is beginning to show why the team viewed him as their future. When Russell Wilson signed a one-year deal with New York this offseason, plenty of critics saw it as a short-term patch: another fading vet in a long line of stopgaps. Now, however, that narrative cannot hold up any longer. In a quarterback room full of headlines, Russell Wilson has stayed above the noise. Jameis Winston’s personality, Jaxson Dart’s rookie hype, and Tommy DeVito’s cult following have all drawn attention. But from Day 1 of camp, Brian Daboll made it clear: Wilson is the starter.

And two weeks in, that decision looks right. Wilson’s been sharp, vocal, and steady. With preseason games ahead, he’s proving why the Giants handed him the keys. That’s what Daboll himself emphasized, “He has provided leadership to our football team in various ways, not just in the quarterback room, but meeting extra with the entire offense, how he communicates with defensive players, the experience that he’s had throughout his career. He’s been productive and made good decisions at that position here in our offense. He understands it, I think he’s performed at a high level. We need him to continue to do that.” 

According to SI’s Geoff Magliocchetti, “The likely best case scenario for the Wilson era—beyond the obvious Tom Brady-in-Tampa-style breakout that yields a Lombardi Trophy hoist—is that he bridges the gap to Dart, viewed by many as the long-term answer under center.” After up-and-down stops in Denver and Pittsburgh, many assume Russell Wilson’s best days are behind him. But even last season, he led the Steelers to the edge of the playoffs and earned a Pro Bowl nod. Since entering the league in 2012, only Tom Brady has won more games as a starter. Only Aaron Rodgers has thrown more touchdowns. Wilson’s résumé includes a passing title. A league-best passer rating season… And the 2020 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.

Now in New York, he’s chasing something different, team success, not just personal milestones. He’s here to lead, stabilize, and win. For the Giants, that’s exactly what they’ve been missing. And if Wilson even flashes his old form, he might finally give this team the direction, that has been lacking for years.