The New York Giants sound intent on opening the regular season with Russell Wilson as the starting quarterback.
Wilson took the lion’s share of first-team reps during OTA and minicamp practices this spring, and all signs point to the 36-year-old being behind center when the Giants open up against the Washington Commanders.
However, Giants running back Tyrone Tracy suggests that Wilson might not be the leader in the clubhouse of New York’s preseason quarterback competition.
“I wouldn’t say leader of the pack because Jameis and Russ, they both have a really good dynamic to where they both respect each other,” Tracy said, during an appearance on NFL Media’s Good Morning Football. “They both allow each other to lead in their own way, whatever it may be. If Jameis wants to say something, Russ is not gonna come and say this is how it is. He’ll let Jameis talk and lead his own way.
“I think that’s really good because you need more than one leader. You need more than one person speaking up. It can’t just be Russ or Jameis. It has to be a running back, a linebacker, a D-end, you know what I’m saying? It has to be multiple people on the team leading so that everyone knows, the young guys know this is the way we’re going.”
It would be a pretty big shock if Jameis Winston unseats Wilson for the starting job.
However, where things could get complicated for the Giants is, what would happen if No. 25 overall pick, Jaxson Dart, outplays both veterans during training camp and the preseason this summer?
Given the pressure on head coach Brian Daboll to deliver enough victories to show owner John Mara that the Giants are heading in the right direction, there are bound to be questions looming over what direction to take the quarterback position throughout the season.
There is certainly value in having established veterans like Wilson and Winston in a quarterback room that is at least partially designed to maximize Dart’s development.
“They bring a lot of different pieces that we need,” Tracy said. “I also think, again, with Russ, he brings that leadership to where he’s more vocal, he’s speaking up, he’s letting people know where we’re going, and everyone’s on the same train. That’s what we need as a football team.”
Giants’ Brian Daboll on NFL’s Hottest Seat
Dan Mullan | GettyNew York Giants head coach Brian Daboll is under immense pressure in 2025.
The pressure Daboll is under as the 2025 season nears has been well documented.
But, with training camp set to open in less than one month, CBS Sports NFL analyst Tyler Sullivan predicts not only that Daboll will be fired at some point over the next calendar year but is facing more pressure to deliver than any coach across the league.
“Wilson is currently positioned to be the Week 1 starter, but Daboll’s fate may rest on Dart,” Sullivan writes for CBS. “Who impressed during the offseason program. If Dart takes over at some point during the season and shows flashes, that could be enough to save Daboll.
“However, he’ll need to survive an early gauntlet to possibly get to that point. Before the Week 14 bye, seven of their first 12 opponents are all coming off playoff appearances last year — and the non-playoff teams are the Cowboys (road), Saints (road), 49ers (home), Bears (road) and Patriots (road). It’s hard to imagine New York putting together anything close to a .500 record, which would put Daboll at serious risk of an in-season firing.”
While improved quarterback play could be a saving grace for Daboll, the Giants are going to need to find a way to show progress while playing against the most difficult strength of schedule in the NFL.
A fast start by Wilson could silence some of the detractors, but how Daboll walks the tightrope of Dart’s development with one eye focused on winning enough games in 2025 could come to define New York’s season.
Is Giants’ Defense on The Rise?
Dan Mullan | GettyAbdul Carter could be a difference maker in elevating the New York Giants’ defense in 2025.
One way that the Giants can ease some of the pressure on Daboll, and Wilson, is if New York’s defense makes a major leap.
After selecting Abdul Carter no. 3 overall in the NFL Draft, the Giants boast what could be an explosive trio of edge rushers, alongside Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux, with the defensive line anchored by All-Pro and ascending star Dexter Lawrence.
According to ESPN’s Mina Kimes, the Giants have the pieces in place to be a top-10 defense this season.
“I chose this team entirely based on the idea that the defensive line can just completely take over games and ruin the lives of quarterbacks,” Kimes said on The Mina Kimes Show. They also added some players in the back end that I think could stabilize things with Javon Holland at safety, Paulson Adebo, Phillips is really good. I really like the combination of Javon Holland and Tyler Nubin together, because I think you can have Nubin playing closer to the box where he’s better, personally.”
Expectations are high for Adebo and Holland to make immediate impacts on the secondary, and if they do, and the pass rush is as advertised, the pieces could be in place for the Giants to be an ascendent defense this fall.
The Giants suddenly have the personnel to make a major leap defensively, how the pieces fit together could play a big part in what the landscape looks like in New York in 2026, and beyond.
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