Giants making QB change from Russell Wilson to Jaxson Dart for Week 4 vs. Chargers

The future is now for the New York Giants. The 0-3 Giants are making the change at quarterback from Russell Wilson to first-round rookie Jaxson Dart this week, ahead of their Week 4 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers, sources told CBS Sports.

Dart marks the start of Giants football's newest era and Wilson's second benching in his fringe Hall of Fame career.

Giants coach Brian Daboll informed the quarterbacks of his decision Tuesday, sources said. It came one day after Daboll refused to back Wilson as his starter -- a telltale sign that a change was imminent.

"We're evaluating everything," Daboll said Monday when asked specifically about the Giants' starting quarterback.

That evaluation led the Giants to hand over the reins to Dart, whom the Giants traded back into the first round (pick No. 25) to select in April's draft.

Dart's first start in 2025 was always a matter of time for a Giants team faced with the NFL's toughest schedule and overwhelming momentum for the young quarterback whom the coach fell in love with during the draft process.

This registered as a 5.6 on my QB change seismometer https://t.co/SK8q5Nj2Sm

— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) September 22, 2025

"We do a variety of things with our evaluations, whether it's being prepared, doing a good job of answering things quickly, changing the picture and being able to fix it, workouts, dinners, Senior Bowl, combine," Daboll told CBS Sports in May about the process leading up to selecting Dart. "He did a nice job in all the areas and touch-points of responding in the right way. And that's all important ... and then he was good on tape."

The connection between Daboll and Dart has been evident for anyone with eyes to see since rookie minicamp. But the Giants promised to take their time with Dart and not rush him into action. Still, he earned the backup role and Daboll crafted packages designed for Dart to run early in the season.

Dart has quarterbacked six offensive plays in the regular season. He handed the ball off four times for 39 yards, kept one for a loss of three and dropped back once to pass, only to eventually scramble for a gain of three.

Dart's first pass attempt will come Sunday against the Chargers, whose defense ranks in the top five in the league in opposing passer rating, completion percentage, yards per attempt and first downs per attempt.

By making the move now, Daboll will give Dart a full week of practice as the starting quarterback. The Giants play the 0-3 Saints after the Chargers, followed by a Thursday night divisional tilt against the Eagles on a short week.

Hopes were high within the Giants building this offseason that Wilson could return to his Pro Bowl ways. Wilson signed a one-year, $10.5 million deal that had double that amount in incentives tied to performance and playoffs. Daboll and the Giants named Wilson the unquestioned starter at the time of signing, and they echoed that plenty after selecting Dart in the draft.

A 14-year veteran with a Super Bowl ring, Wilson had trimmed weight and looked lighter on his feet, an element of his game that had disappeared from his Seattle days. But New York's offense has struggled with Wilson under center, ranking 27th in points despite being 12th in yards gained through three weeks.

Wilson completed less than half his passes against the Commanders, had an enormous day against the Cowboys capped by a terrible overtime interception in Week 2, and mustered one touchdown drive against the Chiefs with zero catchable passes thrown in a fourth-quarter red-zone period that likely nailed his coffin shut.

Wilson's 78.5 passer rating is, by far, the lowest of his career, but ranks 24th among quarterbacks this year -- just behind Patrick Mahomes and ahead of C.J. Stroud. Those numbers are boosted by a 450-yard, three-touchdown performance against a poor Dallas defense.

A 10-time Pro Bowl quarterback who has made more money on the field than all but three players in NFL history, Wilson now closes the latest chapter in his career.

After an unceremonious departure in Seattle, he was eventually benched in Denver in 2023 and then disintegrated down the stretch in Pittsburgh last year.

His immediate future with Big Blue is unclear, though he could be a trade piece for a quarterback-needy team ahead of the Nov. 4 trade deadline.

This is also the second straight year in which the Giants have benched their Week 1 starter. Last year, Daboll benched Daniel Jones in November for Tommy DeVito after a 2-8 start.

The move came two years after Jones's four-year, $160 million contract and just days after the trade deadline. The Giants eventually granted his release, and he has since quarterbacked the Colts to a 3-0 start.