The New York Giants know they’ll face tough decisions at quarterback as the 2025 season plays out in real time.
With multiple veterans on the roster and a highly drafted rookie in Jaxson Dart, the front office must eventually clear the logjam.
Dart was taken 25th overall and has started slowly, working behind the scenes and learning the offense from the bottom up.
He’s getting valuable time with the backups, and while the team doesn’t expect him to leapfrog the veterans immediately, things change quickly.
As with any rookie quarterback, development is unpredictable, and Dart could force the issue by midseason if progress accelerates.
There’s already speculation the Giants will entertain trading one of their quarterbacks depending on how the season shakes out.
Jameis Winston could become a trade chip if the Giants are winning
If the Giants come out hot and find themselves in playoff contention, it could open the door to move Jameis Winston.
Winston signed a two-year, $8 million deal with incentives that could push it to $16 million depending on snaps played.
That alone suggests the team sees him more as an insurance policy than a long-term piece of the puzzle.
With Dart waiting in the wings, and Daniel Jones no longer in the picture, Winston’s path to playing time looks narrow.
If a quarterback-needy team suffers an injury or finds itself thin at the position, Winston becomes a phone call away.
For a Giants team looking to recoup some future assets, flipping Winston for a late-round pick could be a clean business decision.
If the season spirals, Russell Wilson may be the name to watch
On the flip side, if the Giants stumble and the playoffs become a pipe dream, the situation around Russell Wilson changes.
Wilson, now 36, is still capable of managing an offense and leading a locker room, which still holds real NFL value.
In 2024, he completed 64.1% of his passes for 2,752 yards and 18 touchdowns despite a chaotic season in Denver.
He brings playoff experience and has historically played well under pressure — traits some contenders might seek desperately.
It’s not far-fetched to imagine a fringe playoff team making a move for Wilson, especially if a starter goes down.
At that point, trading Wilson opens the door for Dart to get real game reps heading into a pivotal 2026 season.
What’s best for Jaxson Dart might define the Giants’ 2025 plans
Regardless of wins or losses, the Giants have to evaluate Jaxson Dart in live-action scenarios sooner rather than later.
If the team isn’t contending, there’s no logic in keeping Wilson or Winston around while a first-round pick sits idle.
Even if Dart struggles early, those reps will pay off later, and the organization needs clarity before next year’s draft class.
Veteran quarterbacks are always a fallback option, but the longer Dart is sidelined, the less data the Giants will have.
Giving him the final stretch of the 2025 season — even if painful — might shape the team’s strategy moving forward.
This is a roster in transition, and part of building something sustainable means knowing when to let go of short-term comfort.
READ MORE: Giants’ UDFA wide receiver could be a sleeper to watch this preseason
!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(“has-featured-video”,”true”)})}();