Russell Wilson Bested by 3 Giants QBs as GM Gives Honest Verdict on Jaxson Dart vs. Bills

It’s been the question floating over East Rutherford all summer – when will Jaxson Dart take over? The Giants have danced around it, GM Joe Schoen even saying earlier this week, “We’re not going to put a timeframe on it.” Russell Wilson had “a really good spring.” The chemistry with Malik Nabers is real, and the locker room vibe is as steady as it’s been in years. The “perfect scenario” in Schoen’s mind? Win now with Russ and wait on Dart. But preseason doesn’t follow scripts.

Because it’s one thing to be the veteran quarterback in August. It’s another to watch two other guys in the same jersey make more noise than you in the same night. That’s how Russell Wilson’s Giants preseason debut felt – quiet, safe, and overshadowed within an hour. Against the Bills on Aug. 9, Wilson opened the game with a 12-play drive. Every throw was short. Every decision was safe. The Giants moved just 30 yards before Graham Gano bailed them out with a 53-yard field goal. Wilson finished 6-of-7 for 28 yards. No sacks. No risk. And honestly, no real veteran fireworks.

Then came Dart. The rookie stepped in and immediately stretched the field. By halftime, he was 12-of-19 for 154 yards and a touchdown, plus 24 yards on the ground. Not bad for a guy the team openly admitted would ‘take some time’ before being starter-ready. And he wasn’t alone – Jameis Winston also found the end zone. Tommy DeVito did too, cashing in a Buffalo turnover with a quick 9-yard strike to Jonathan Ward. Three Giants QBs scored touchdowns. And Wilson wasn’t one of them.

Here’s how the Giants’ QB stat line stacked up:

The contrast was hard to miss. Wilson’s drive looked like a controlled classroom drill. Dart’s, DeVito’s, and Winston’s looked like live-fire tests – with points on the board to prove it.

Schoen’s straight talk on Dart’s big debut

On the NBC broadcast, GM Joe Schoen said it “definitely didn’t seem too big” for Dart or fellow debutant Abdul Carter. That’s not nothing – especially for a GM who’s tied so much of his own job security to Dart’s success. It’s a bold bet. Schoen traded up late in the first round to get Dart, a move that cost two Day 2 picks this year and another next year – resources some thought should’ve gone to fixing the trenches.

As The Athletic’s Dan Duggan put it, Schoen and Brian Daboll are banking on Dart to “save their jobs and turn the franchise around.” Meanwhile, cornerback Deonte Banks played the entire first half in what Schoen called a “battle” with Cor’Dale Flott for a starting job. The Giants still have Wilson penciled in as QB1. But after Friday, there’s no doubt – Dart just gave New York something to think about.

The Giants can talk patience all they want, but nights like this speed up clocks. Wilson is still QB1 today, and that probably won’t change tomorrow. But in one half of football, Dart didn’t just flash potential – he showed production. Add Winston and DeVito to the mix, and suddenly the “perfect scenario” Schoen envisioned feels a little less locked in. Preseason or not, three Giants QBs found the end zone. The one with the résumé didn’t.