Many Giants fans always expected Jaxson Dart to take over QB1 from Russell Wilson. Some predicted a midseason switch, others called for it after Week 1. Head coach Brian Daboll made the change following the Week 3 loss to the Chiefs. Dart is now the starter, and the veteran QB has a message for the rookie.

There’s usually an uncomfortable tension hanging around the locker room when a young QB takes the reins from a veteran. But that isn’t how it went down over in New York. Jaxson Dart came out and said that he tried to emulate Russell Wilson as a kid. And Wilson returned the love right back. “Got you bro! Young stud! First W! Let’s keep stacking!” he wrote on Instagram.

In his postgame press conference, Dart shared what Russell Wilson meant to him growing up. “I had his first pair of cleats when they came out. When you grow up and there are guys that you look up to, and you try to emulate them in the backyard. It’s cool to see that. You just want to play good and make people happy and win. Definitely means a lot for me to see that support,” Dart said.

Honestly, this might be the most wholesome story coming out of the NFL this season. Losing the QB1 spot is never easy. Especially when you’re a seasoned vet in the twilight of your career. It’s that gut-punch moment where you realize your time on the field is winding down. But credit to Wilson for handling it the way he did.

You’d have assumed that he’d look for a way out after being demoted, but no. “No, 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 on Wednesday. I want to be here. I love this organization, the process of it all. The guys in the locker room. I’m not giving up on us in this season,” Wilson said.

And the Giants aren’t rushing to show Russ the door either. The quarterback’s presence in the locker room is invaluable. In just a few months, he has already become a glue guy, bringing energy and positivity that rubs off on everyone. Plus, mentoring Jaxson Dart? That’s huge. It’s like getting a front-row seat to learning from your idol, and Dart couldn’t ask for a better teacher.

Jaxson Dart gave Russell Wilson a shoutout

All offseason, the media had us thinking Dart and Wilson were destined to hate each other. Enough to make you picture a locker room full-on feud. But honestly? This might be the healthiest QB1–QB2 setup in the entire league.

“I want to give a big shoutout to Russell Wilson. I know this week probably wasn’t the easiest thing, but he handled it like a professional. Have a ton of respect for him,” Dart said

And it seems like he emulated Wilson just fine vs the Chargers, leading the Giants to their first win of the season. He didn’t light up the stat sheet, but he did something way more important: steady, mistake-free football. A brand of football that the Giants’ offense has been craving for ages.

Dart went 13-for-20 for 111 passing yards, added 54 yards on the ground, and even punched in a rushing touchdown on 10 carries. All that effort earned him a solid 96.0 QB rating. He produced these numbers while the OL consistently failed to protect him. Five sacks today.

And for all the stat nerds out there, Dart just did something no QB’s done in 23 years: win his first career start against a team that was 3-0 or better. Beating one of the league’s hottest teams to kick off your career? That’s a pretty good way to start the things off. Let’s hope he builds on that vs the Commanders next week.