The New York Giants believe they have their next franchise quarterback in rookie Jaxson Dart, trading up to select him in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft to ensure he would end up donning blue this fall.
With the additions of Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston, Dart has a unique opportunity with the Giants in 2025. Wilson will be the starter in Week 1, and both he and Winston will mentor Dart as he develops and acclimates to the league.
While the team has not indicated if Dart will start any games in 2025, Giants’ legendary quarterback Phil Simms says they must start Jaxson Dart in 2025.
After some back and forth, Simms dove into his ideal situation for the Giants.
“The ideal situation, and I hate to say this, I never like to ever put me in it, but in 1979, I wasn’t ready to start the season. But I stood on the sideline and after about the third game, I go, ‘You know, I kind of got it now, I really feel so much more confident if I do get in the game and play, that I’m going to do well.’ And two weeks later, I was the starter,” Simms said.
“So the ideal situation to me, let’s not talk about playoffs and all that about the Giants, but they get off to a decent start, the whole team is better than it was last year, the defensive line the last two drafts I think have been very good, all that, and we’re respectable.
“But then there comes a point, six, seven, eight weeks into the season, then I think, unless you see there’s an opportunity to really be great, we gotta find the spot to get Jaxson Dart in there and give him some experience and let him have some success and some failures because that’s how you grow in the NFL as a quarterback.”
So, if the Giants have the opportunity to do something fantastic in 2025 with the players they have on the field, then he’s okay with keeping Dart on the bench. But if there is no shot at that, then Dart should be allowed to start and run the offense, win or lose.
The aura around the Giants is changing with every new report that comes out. Dart has impressed everyone with his wit, his football IQ, and his ability to learn and adapt. Wilson is a solid starting quarterback with a good resume, but there’s no reason to hold Dart back if he is truly ready to go.