The Giants front desk has finally decided to bench their starter quarterback and hand over the keys to rookie Jaxson Dart. After a 0-3 start to the season, well, they finally thought “better late than never” in the hope of opening their account. Although the veteran Russell Wilson said all the right things after the news and took the decision like a pro, it was the locker room that stole the hearts of spectators.

Dianna Russini, senior NFL insider for The Athletic at The New York Times, recently posted a X about how the team is taking the news. “Inside the Giants locker room, I’m told, they’re fired up to have Jaxson Dart starting. Several players on both sides of the ball, including team captains, reached out right away with calls and FaceTimes to let Dart know they’re behind him,” she wrote.

It appears that the locker room is quite excited for the new young leader. Instead of asking questions, the guys have been supportive of Dart and are letting him know that they have his back. Jameis Winston will take up Dart’s backup duties. Their next opponents include the red-hot Chargers, the defending champions Eagles, and the unbeaten 49ers. To include Dart as the starter not only raises hopes to climb up the ladder, but also gives a chance to the newly appointed coach Brian Daboll to save his job.

But not everything will be smooth sailing for him. Dart will be rolling into the MetLife Stadium against the Chargers, who have one of the best defenses in the NFL. If he can bring the Giants to a victory, he would be the first QB in 23 years to win his first career start against a 3-0 or better franchise.

Is Wilson being viewed as a trade candidate?

Trade talks are getting more intense, and it is speculated that Russell Wilson might soon be donning a new uniform. The Giants decided to bench Wilson this week and gave the starting job to rookie Jaxson Dart. Now, there are rumors that Wilson might be going somewhere else. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport states, “Wilson is expected to become a trade candidate before the deadline on Nov. 4, the QB-needy team that is most likely to choose a veteran source is around the league.”

Russell cleared the air himself that he doesn’t intend to ask for a trade. The veteran quarterback told reporters that he will not request a transfer from the Giants, who got him in a one-year, $10.5 million deal back in March. However, his name is already one of the most prominent ones in the discussion.

Wilson’s low-priced contract is the additional factor that makes him a good trade option. He signed a one-year, $10.5 million deal, which is quite cheap in comparison with other quarterbacks. To trade for the Falcons‘ backup, Kirk Cousins would cost a team much more than that. Cousins is just in the second year of a gigantic four-year, $180 million deal that he signed with Atlanta in March 2024.

But apart from his contract, he has displayed his prowess recently in a nail-biting 40-37 overtime loss to the Cowboys in Week 2. He showed that he still has a lot of football left in him when he threw 450 yards and scored three touchdowns. These sorts of performances are enough to prove that he still has something to offer to the teams looking for QB assistance.