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Russell Wilson and Jaxson Dart might be professional rivals, but their relationship as teammates could hardly be much better. The connection between the New York Giants’ quarterbacks was immediately evident after Wilson was benched for the rookie after Week 3.
As the team’s franchise quarterback, Dart knew the pressure he put on Wilson and Jameis Winston once the Giants traded up to take him in the 2025 NFL Draft. Dart recalled Wilson reaching out to him immediately after then-head coach Brian Daboll made the quarterback switch, which he acknowledged meant a lot to him, according to NFL.com insider Ian Rapoport.
“From his perspective, losing the starting job was a hard thing to do, but he was the first person to reach out to me after I talked to the coaches about it, just telling me he’s got my back,” Dart said. “Saying he’s here for me and whatever I need. That just spoke volumes to the kind of character that he has and the kind of man he is.”
Winston has also been a mentor to Dart in his first year of professional football. The two veterans have both said they would do whatever Dart and the team need to succeed, with Winston even semi-joking that he would play tight end.
Winston, however, is the only veteran set to return to the Giants in 2026. New York gave him a two-year, $8 million deal in the 2025 offseason, before signing Wilson to a one-year, $10.5 million contract.
Considering the team’s situation, the Giants appear content to let Wilson walk in the upcoming offseason and retain Winston as Dart’s backup for another year. If that is the case, Wilson will seek his fourth different team in as many years, with his days as a Week 1 starter likely over.
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