The New York Giants have a quarterback controversy, and head coach Brian Daboll is doing nothing to put out the fire.
New York coach refused to name a backup quarterback ahead of its Week 1 game at the Washington Commanders on Sunday at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland, though Jaxson Dart was listed as the No. 2 QB on the team’s unofficial depth chart Tuesday.
Russell Wilson is expected to be the New York starter and will be backed up by both Dart and Jameis Winston.
Who Is The Giants’ Backup Quarterback?
This wasn’t supposed to be a question, even though the Giants traded up to select Dart with the 25th overall pick. New York loaded up its QBs room with veteran options, Wilson and Winston, and were reportedly considering a redshirt year — meaning no game reps whatsoever — for Dart.
Yet, Dart’s exceptional preseason made this an issue that Daboll was asked about in a video call with reporters Monday. When asked, Daboll played coy.
“As the week goes on, the backup quarterbacks will get a lot of reps on the [scout] teams,” Daboll said, “We’ll decide what we want to do on some of the periods.
“Any roster decisions based on who’s going to be the backup, we’ll have that out there on Sunday.”
Daboll was asked specifically about how to manage Dart, the presumptive QB of the future who went 32 for 47 for 372 yards and three touchdown passes in his three preseason games. He would not divulge how he intends to build Dart up to that level for the regular season.
“We’re onto the regular season here,” Daboll said. “It’s all onto Washington.”
That is unlikely to quell the questions, especially since Dart was listed as the backup quarterback on the team’s first unofficial regular-season depth chart. Dart was expected to be the No. 4 QB entering the regular season — behind Wilson, Winston and Tommy DeVito — but DeVito was claimed by the New England Patriots after New York waived him last week.
That leaves the battle between Dart and Winston, the 10th-year pro who has started 17 games over the past five seasons with the Cleveland Browns and New Orleans Saints, as the potential backups to Wilson.
Despite his lack of details made public, Daboll said he and the team’s staff have a plan for the opener.
âWe have a good idea of how weâre going to play, with the players weâre going to play with,â Daboll said. âThatâll all come out on Sunday.â
Can The Giants Beat The Commanders?
The Giants haven’t won a Week 1 game since 2022 in Tennessee and have started 0-1 in 12 of the past 14 seasons.
So between that and their road date against the resurgent Commanders — the NFC runners-up from a season ago — New York is up against it again in Week 1. The Giants have the hardest schedule by 2024 win percentage.
Still, the Giants played two competitive games against the Commanders in 2024, dropping two games by just eight points — including their 21-18 loss in Landover in Week 2 on Austin Seibert’s walk-off field goal.
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