Giants QB Russell Wilson believed to have short leash

New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson will likely be playing for the starting job when he faces the Washington Commanders in Week 1. 

The Giants have a demanding opening schedule, playing the Commanders, Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers over the first four weeks of the 2025 season.

The Athletic's Dan Duggan thinks Wilson must engineer wins against those contenders to prevent head coach Brian Daboll from benching him for rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart.

"Giants brass has told everyone who will listen since the draft that Russell Wilson is the unquestioned starting quarterback and the plan is for first-round pick Jaxson Dart to develop behind the scenes," Duggan wrote. "It sounds awfully familiar to 2019 when the plan was for Eli Manning to start with Daniel Jones on the bench … and then Jones took over after an 0-2 start. 

"Manning was a franchise icon with far more equity than Wilson, who is on his fourth team in five years. If the Giants stumble against a killer early schedule, they won’t wait long to replace Wilson with Dart, who looked ready in the preseason."

The stakes aren't just high for Wilson. Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen need to demonstrate to ownership that the future is bright in New York, after the team won a combined nine games in the last two seasons.

If Wilson looks unable to keep the Giants in the hunt for the postseason, Daboll should turn to Dart to display what the possibilities are with the first-round pick under center.

Duggan thinks New York's Week 5 contest would be an ideal time to start Dart if Wilson struggles. Dart would face a rebuilding New Orleans Saints team under first-year head coach Kellen Moore.

The Saints also have questions at the quarterback position. Moore is giving second-year player Spencer Rattler the starting job to start the season, but rookie Tyler Shough is waiting for his opportunity.

Week 5 is a must-win game for the Giants, and it could jump-start Dart's NFL career.