Jaxson Dart’s time has arrived.

New York Giants coach Brian Daboll made the rookie quarterback’s promotion official on Wednesday, saying the No. 25 pick from April’s NFL Draft will serve as the team’s starter this week and beyond.

Daboll repeatedly stressed during his news conference that it was his call to promote Dart and bench veteran quarterback Russell Wilson. The coach said he talked over the switch with New York’s front office and ownership, but ultimately, it was “my decision.”

“I did it,” he said. “Not going to get into the specifics. I think it’s the right thing for our football team, and that’s why I’m doing it.”

Daboll added that he believes Dart gives the Giants the best chance to win, both against the Los Angeles Chargers this weekend and moving forward.

“I don’t think any rookie QB is ever just ready to play,” Daboll said. “You put him in there because you think that he’s done enough to show you that he can go out there and compete, and he’s done that every step of the way. That’s why I made the decision.”

Dart believes he’s ready for the opportunity.

“You always try to say each week, ‘I’m going to prepare each week the same,’ but in all reality, you have different responsibilities as the starter, so I’m locked in,” Dart said Wednesday. “I’m ready. … I want to do my best to be a spark. I want to create excitement on the field, be explosive when the opportunities are there and just try and bring a little bit of swagger.”

Wilson, Daboll said, will serve as the team’s backup moving forward, while Jameis Winston will remain the team’s QB3. Backup quarterback will be a relatively unfamiliar role for Wilson, who has 202 career starts, and has only once been a backup once before during his 14 years in the NFL. That came after the Denver Broncos benched him late in the 2023 season, letting Jarrett Stidham start the final two games before they released Wilson in the offseason.

Wilson was benched much earlier in the season this time, after going 0-3 as the Giants’ starter. His short tenure as the starter included one excellent Week 2 performance sandwiched between two lackluster games in Weeks 1 and 3. The most recent poor outing came Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs, when Wilson completed just 18 of 32 passes for 160 yards and two interceptions. While the INTs were bad, they weren’t the low point for Wilson. That came during an abysmal red-zone sequence in the fourth quarter in which Wilson threw three noncompetitive incompletions, including a fourth-down pass that sailed out of the back of the end zone.

In Wilson’s three starts, he went 4 of 18 for 16 yards and no touchdowns in the red zone. The Giants rank 31st in red zone offense heading into Week 4.

“I’m not done,” Wilson said Wednesday when asked about being benched. “I have so much believe in myself. I know what I am capable of. … (But) right now, it’s really about the team. It’s about helping Jaxson the best I possibly can.

“I remember when I was a rookie … looking for help and looking for answers, and I just told (Dart), ‘I got your back.’ Whatever I can help you with.’ I can help him be prepared as best as he can possibly be prepared, because I know that matters. I’ve lived it. I’ve experienced it.”

QB Russell Wilson on being benched by #giants and if he’s going to ask for a release/trade:

“I’m focused on helping this team win. I’m focused on helping Jaxson. … I want to be here. I love this organization.” pic.twitter.com/sbXmSFZl97

— Charlotte Carroll (@charlottecrrll) September 24, 2025

The pressure to succeed immediately will be immense for Dart, who is not only being charged with helping lead the Giants out of their 0-3 hole but also, in all likelihood, helping to save Daboll’s job. The Giants coach entered the season on the hot seat and a winless start certainly hasn’t cooled things off.

Daboll’s Giants are a miserable 3-17 since the start of last season. If Dart can’t help turn things around, it’s likely the Giants will be looking for a new coach next season — and maybe a new general manager, as Joe Schoen is just as culpable for the Giants’ struggles the past couple of years.

“It’s a long season,” Daboll said when asked if the move to Dart was about saving his job. “We’ve had three games, haven’t put it together all collectively, and I made the decision to play Jaxson.”

Dart certainly appears to have the support of the Giants locker room. Team captain and All-Pro defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence said Dart was one of his favorite players coming out of the draft.

Lawrence highlighted Dart’s confidence as one of the biggest reasons he liked the QB during the pre-draft process.

“He’s got a little something to him,” Lawrence said with a smile. “He’s not just an average guy. … I don’t think nobody can take his swagger.”

(Photo by Sarah Stier / Getty Images)