Sportsnaut
A new report has revealed even more details on why the New York Giants chose Week 4 to make a quarterback switch from Russell Wilson to rookie Jaxson Dart.
Since the summer, there has been a lot of buzz about the first-round pick. Reports suggested his understanding of the offense was well ahead of schedule, and his performances in the preseason seemed to confirm that opinion. However, the rumors from the start were that the organization did not want to rush the NFL newbie into a difficult spot as a starting QB.
Yet, circumstances created the inevitable, and after an awful start by Wilson over the weekend, head coach Brian Daboll and the staff are pulling the trigger on replacing the Super Bowl winner with the first timer. There have been a lot of assumptions and speculation about why now. On Saturday, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini revealed several key details on why Jaxson Dart is making his NFL debut in Week 4.
Interestingly enough, Russini reports the Giants considered giving Wilson the hook after a disappointing 21-6 loss in Week 1. But as fans now know, they didn’t make the switch, and Wilson ended up having one of the best performances of his career in Dallas two weeks ago. However, that ended up just being a glimmer of hope, and reality returned the following Sunday.
As the NFL insider puts it, Daboll’s decision is one many fired head coaches before him wish they had made when their job was on the line, and that’s to go down their guy. “Sitting at 0-3, Daboll’s calculation is simple: Go down swinging with your guy,” she wrote. “Ask fired head coaches what they regret most, and you’ll hear the same answer: not doing it their way. Daboll is making sure he does.”
Another key bit of intelligence on the Giants’ switch from Wilson to Dart is that this is completely Daboll’s decision. Ownership did not allegedly push for it, nor did general manager Joe Schoen, whose job is also in danger if New York can’t get back to competitive play in 2025. “The call belonged entirely to Daboll, and he wants everyone to know it.”
Furthermore, Russini claims many in the organization did not expect the move to come now, and there were even some internal “objections” to the QB switch. That may also be why there isn’t a shared message that it was a team choice, and the coach actually wants to “own this decision.”
Starting this Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers, Daboll has completely put his job in the hands of the rookie QB.
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