Total Pro Sports
Jaxson Dart hadn’t even unpacked his bags in New York before the reality of his rookie NFL season hit. Despite the buzz that followed the Giants trading back into the first round to select him at No. 25, the former USC and Ole Miss quarterback won’t see the field this year. The team’s leadership has already hit pause on any expectations of an early debut.
Giants general manager Joe Schoen made it clear this week: Jaxson Dart won’t play in 2025. Instead, the rookie will spend the season behind veterans Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston. For fans eager to see the new kid in action, it’s a gut check. But for Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll, both potentially coaching under pressure this season, it’s a calculated move.
Schoen compared the situation to the one he and Daboll faced in Buffalo. When they brought in Josh Allen, they planned to sit him for his rookie year too. “We had a little bit different quarterback room at the time,” Schoen told NFL.com. “But he was going to sit his rookie year and then halftime of the opening game we’re getting smoked by Baltimore, so we put him in and the rest was history.”
That unexpected debut worked out for Allen, now the reigning NFL MVP. The Giants, however, don’t want to rely on chance this time around. With Wilson and Winston already in the locker room, Schoen believes Dart has the right setup to absorb the playbook and grow from the sidelines***. “Jaxson’s going to come in, he’s got to learn the offense… these NFL offenses are hard to grasp,”*** Schoen added. “The ability for him to learn and sit behind two consummate pros already will be beneficial for him.”
New York fans might find the decision hard to swallow. The NFC East is top-heavy, with the Eagles and Commanders leading the pack, and the Giants chasing relevance. With Jaxson Dart shelved and two veterans steering the ship, patience will be in short supply if the season turns sour.
But Schoen and Daboll are betting long term. They’re trusting that giving Dart time now will pay off later. If the Wilson-Winston combo can steady the team, Dart might step in next season with a strong foundation to handle the attention. Whether that gamble holds up depends on what happens when the real games begin.
