By Charlotte Carroll, Dianna Russini and Dan Duggan

The New York Giants are making a change at quarterback. The team is elevating Jameis Winston to QB2, ahead of Russell Wilson, a league source told The Athletic. That means if starter Jaxson Dart is unable to clear concussion protocol this week, Winston would start the Giants’ Week 11 game against the Green Bay Packers.

This move comes on the heels of the Giants firing coach Brian Daboll on Monday and naming Mike Kafka their interim head coach.

Dart exited the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 24-20 loss to the Bears with a concussion, and was replaced by veteran Russell Wilson. Wilson went 3-of-7 passing for 45 yards, as the Giants squandered a lead and dropped to 2-8 on the season.

Winston, the No. 1 pick in the 2015 draft, signed with the Giants on a two-year, $8 million contract worth up to $16 million with incentives in March. He most recently played for the Cleveland Browns, playing in eight games last season and recording totals of 2,121 yards, 13 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while taking 24 sacks.

Before exiting Sunday, Dart was delivering a strong game. He had completed 19-of-29 passes for 242 yards, and he had rushed six times for 66 yards and two touchdowns with one lost fumble. It was Dart’s fifth straight game with a rushing touchdown.

On the season Dart, a rookie first-round pick from Ole Miss, has 1,417 passing yards with 10 touchdowns and three interceptions. He’s added 317 yards and seven scores on the ground in nine games played.

Why Winston makes sense for Giants

With how lifeless the offense has looked under Wilson, this decision made sense for Kafka to make to inject a spark into the team in his first game as interim head coach.

It’s a move a long time coming, given the number of times Dart has briefly exited for a concussion test and the offense stalling when Wilson entered play. Beyond Sunday being the final straw for Daboll’s career as head coach, it’s also the final straw for Wilson’s time as QB2.

Wilson couldn’t do anything in the final quarter Sunday as they once again lost a lead and their fourth-straight game. Not only should the move provide the energy injection that occurs whenever Winston takes over for a team, but it’s also forward thinking. Wilson is signed to just a one-year deal, but with Winston on a two-year contract, it’s a look at the backup for next year, too.

Kafka will speak for the first time Wednesday afternoon to add more context to the decision and we should hear from the quarterbacks as well. – Charlotte Carroll, Giants beat writer