Jaxson Dart’s Debut and 4 Other Storylines Ahead of Giants' Week 4 Game

Jaxson Dart gets the start at quarterback, Cam Skattebo takes center stage, plus questions about the kicker and how the Giants might juggle the roster to top this week's storylines.

New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart wil make his NFL debut as a starter on Sunday when the Giants host the Los Angeles Chargers. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Welcome to the dawn of a new era in New York Giants football.

The future begins now for Big Blue, which is turning to rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart, the man handpicked by the current regime to deliver the offense from its years-long doldrums. 

One can view the decision, which head coach Brian Daboll is expected to confirm before Wednesday’s practice, in two ways. 

First, it’s an act of desperation by a regime that, since 2023, has won only nine of its 37 games played and is potentially facing termination if it can’t deliver the kind of results that are guaranteed to put co-owner John Mara in a better mood by season’s end.

The second is that Dart is truly ready to roll after only three preseason games, most of which were against second- and third-team defenses that didn’t game plan. And because he’s ready to roll, the Giants, who initially spoke of letting him redshirt in his rookie season while Russell Wilson handled the offense and the tough schedule the team currently has, figured, why delay the inevitable any longer?

Whatever the reason–and hopefully it’s the latter over the former–the Dart era begins now for the Giants, who continue to seek their first win of the 2025 season after coming off what many hailed as a productive offseason of roster building.

What will the Giants get? It’s probably unrealistic to expect the golden-haired Dart to be the knight in shining armor that comes riding in on a steed to salvage a season that’s circling the drain because he’s one of 11 on offense and has zero to do with the defense or special teams, which some in this instance seem to forget, have contributed their shares to the losing. 

Let’s just hope that Dart shows the inner strength and resiliency to handle whatever the upcoming football Sundays throw at him, good or bad. 

Here’s a look at the top storylines ahead of the Los Angeles Chargers coming to town.

Tempering Expectations on Offense 

Sep 21, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll reacts before the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at MetLife Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The one thing head coach Brian Daboll has said repeatedly is that the offense’s woes are not the result of one player’s performance.

So, while the Giants hope that Dart provides the missing spark, the fact of the matter remains that the other ten starters on offense are the same, the playcaller is the same, and the system remains the same.

Maybe Dart is the magic formula that brings the offense out of its doldrums. But for this to work, he needs all the surrounding elements to do their part as well.

 Who’s Kicking?

New York Giants place kicker Graham Gano | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The Giants signed ex-Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo to their practice squad as insurance in the event Graham Gano, ailing for the third time in as many years (this time with a groin), is unable to kick.

Gano is believed to have been getting extra treatment on his groin in the hopes of minimizing any time he’d be inactive.

Still, it’s probably not a stretch to say that if the Giants brought in an experienced kicker in Koo, there is concern within the organization that the 37-year-old Gano is indeed going to miss time.

Will it be a minimum four-week stint on IR? That’s what Gano and the Giants are hoping to avoid.

But again, if they thought it was a short-term ailment–and judging by Gano’s pained expression after he was sent to convert a field goal in the loss last week, it doesn’t look as though it will be–the Giants need to have a backup plan.

They just cannot keep going for it on fourth down when they’re within normal field goal range, nor can they afford to put Gano out there with even the slightest twinge of discomfort, regardless. 

Skatt Time

New York Giants running back Cam Skattebo (44) | Kevin R. Wexler-NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Running back Tyrone Tracy, Jr. is reportedly looking at missing two to four weeks with a separated shoulder, a tough break for the young man who had worked his way up the depth chart to RB1. 

That injury, though, opens the door for rookie Cam Skattebo, one of the few bright spots in last week’s loss, to step in and pass Tracy on the depth chart. 

Skattebo, who has instantly become a fan favorite given his hard-nosed running style mixed in with a little wild man, has been a breath of fresh air on a Giants offense that, other than for Malik Nabers, hasn’t given the fan base much to be excited over. 

There will still be a role for Tracy in this offense when he returns, but it will be interesting to see if Skattebo makes the RB1 position his own.  

More Work for Andrew Thomas?

New York Giants LT Andrew Thomas | Patricia Traina | New York Giants on SI

Besides Gano and Tracy, the Giants have a few others who have been banged up that the team will be hoping to see progress from.

First up is Andrew Thomas, who was on a pitch count last week. Is he finally over the hump to where he can go the distance in a game, or will he continue to work in a rotation with Marcus Mbow?

In the small sample size so far this season, where the Giants have missed Thomas the most is in the running game and in pass pro. 

• In the running game, they are averaging 4.8 yards per carry with him on the field and 3.9 yards per carry with him off the field. 
• They also did not surrender a sack with Thomas on the field, whereas without them, they have averaged sacks on 7.1% of the dropbacks.

The good news is that Thomas, per head coach Brian Daboll, came out of Sunday’s game no worse for wear. Will that translate into full practice sessions and a full game? That remains to be seen.

Roster Gymnastics

The Giants continue to be thin at inside linebacker, where last week they were missing Darius Muasau (concussion) and Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles (calf).  They were also without defensive linemen Rakeem Nunez-Roches(foot) and Chaucney Golston (ankle).

The hope is that at least some of these guys return. If not, the Giants will have to do some roster gymnastics. With Younghoe Koo likely to be elevated, and defensive lineman Elijah Garcia out of elevation, the Giants will have to figure out how to juggle their needs.

One such possibility is for Gano to be released to IR, and Koo gets signed to the active roster. Another is Flannigan-Fowles to IR, which would open the door for Garcia to be added. And with Tracy out, will they put him on IR and promote Dante Miller from the practice squad?

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