NFL Network’s Steve Mariucci shares thoughts on when Giants may play Jaxson Dart
By David Wasson
Published:
Former Ole Miss standout Jaxson Dart was selected by the New York Giants with the 25th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft – signaling the franchise’s desire for him to be the future of the offense.
And the Giants began the 2025 season wanting to take their time with Dart, picking up veteran Russell Wilson in free agency and letting Russ cook as QB1 in New York’s 21-6 loss to the Washington Commanders.
Which leads to the question of when Giants coach Brian Daboll might want to pull the trigger and switch out Russell for the rookie Dart? Steve Mariucci tackled that question during a Sunday segment on NFL Network.
“It is a matter of when they start incorporating Jaxson Dart,” Mariucci said. “Russell Wilson has a C on his jersey, but he is on a 1-year deal. So is a matter of when they get Dart in there. It depends on [Dart’s] readiness. Underline that word, readiness.”
Mariucci acknowledged that Daboll might get the tacit acknowledgment from New York’s player leadership on when Dart’s time will come.
“Players will come up and voice it. The leaders will,” Mariucci said. “You can’t put the blame on Russell Wilson why they aren’t a very good football team. He’s not ready to have the whole volume of offense, because he hasn’t practiced it enough. But he played more in the preseason than [backup] Jameis Winston and Russell Wilson combined.
“Maybe there’s a package, maybe there are these 20 plays that he practices a little bit and is ready to do. They have a tough schedule, and they aren’t going to wait for their bye week in Week 14. Eventually, he is going to be the guy, and Russ knows that.”
Plenty of Rebels fans and Giants fans are eager to see when the franchise decides to hand the keys over to Dart.
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
