Should the NY Giants Consider Trading QB Russell Wilson After Benching him for Jaxson Dart?

The New York Giants finally made a big move that everyone saw coming in the 2025 season (just not as soon as it did) in the lead-up to Week 4, as the franchise announced they will be moving forward with rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart as the starting quarterback against the Los Angeles Chargers.

By electing to pass the baton to the No. 25 pick out of Ole Miss just three weeks into his first NFL season, there are certainly mixed vibes surrounding the immediate future of the Giants organization.

Some believe the move is one of desperation by head coach Brian Daboll,, who might be feeling his fate as the team's leader hanging in the balance after another brutal 0-3 start to the season.

Meanwhile, others are ecstatic that the Giants are making the move earlier than expected, as the team's offense has just failed to reach its promised potential behind Russell Wilson, aside from his surprising Week 2 performance against the Dallas Cowboys, albeit in another grueling overtime loss in that contest.

The worst of Wilson was on full display in the Giants' recent 22-9 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night when the 14-year veteran went 18-of-32 for 160 yards and two interceptions while the Giants' offense went a combined 2-14 on third and fourth downs and couldn't finish in the red zone again.

Wilson, who finished his first three games as a Giant with 778 passing yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions, now heads to the bench to back up Dart beginning on Sunday against the visiting Chargers, who are one of the hottest teams and will surely test the novice's abilities in his first start.

Still, there have already been quick external debates about whether the team should even retain the grizzled Wilson for the rest of the season if the plan truly is for Dart to take control of the huddle for the remainder of the year, as long as he stays healthy and doesn't look completely unprepared to play with the big boys.

Bleacher Report is one outlet that has sparked those discussions, suggesting that the Giants should trade their yanked signal caller to the Cincinnati Bengals in exchange for a late-round draft pick in 2026, to ensure that Dart can maintain his new opportunity and receive a small return.

New York Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dar — Sep 21, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (6) warms up before the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

"It's become readily apparent that the Giants aren't going to succeed this season with Russell Wilson," writer Kristopher Knox said. "It's time to move on from the veteran passer, sending him outside of New York and clearing a path for Jaxson Dart to take over as the franchise quarterback.

"While Wilson's market might be cold, the Cincinnati Bengals could be willing to kick over a late-Day three pick to land a bridge starter until Joe Burrow can return. The Giants should jump at any chance to add some draft capital while opening the door for a turnaround under Dart."

If we were to entertain this thought of the Giants immediately electing to ship off Wilson to a different franchise to continue the lasting years of his long professional career, it would certainly be the Bengals who stand out as the most feasible suitor for his immediate services.

The Bengals lost their first game without Joe Burrow under center in embarrassing fashion, 48-10, to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 3, who also didn't have their No. 1 passer in J.J. McCarthy due to an injury.

Their backup, Jake Browning, who has been serviceable in previous seasons when Burrow went down, looked like he could no longer play the part with five interceptions in the last two weeks.

As Knox mentions, Wilson doesn't carry with him a high trade value, but netting even a seventh-round pick for the Giants is better than nothing.

The Giants also have Jameis Winston, who was a subject of trade rumors earlier in the season, hanging around to still complement Dart in the event the team needs to rely on another option.

That said, the possibility of the Giants moving on from Wilson despite him sitting on the sidelines now seems low if not totally unlikely.

First, it would be a bad look for an organization that seemingly begged for Wilson to come here after missing out on Matthew Stafford and Aaron Rodgers when they searched for an answer to their empty quarterback room in the offseason.

The Giants brought Wilson in with the promise that he would have a fair chance to serve as the starting option, and they did, albeit without letting him know how long of a leash he would get to do it.

He is being paid $10.5 million to be in East Rutherford for the entire campaign, with all of that money guaranteed. This means it would be a clear waste of funds for a team that remains cap-strapped to this day.

Sep 14, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson (3) warms up before the game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Wilson confirmed that he’s not going to pull rank and demand a trade or his release.

“I'm focused on helping this team win. I'm focused on helping Jaxson. I'm focused on me getting ready to be the best version of me today,” he said on Wednesday.

“I want to be here. I love this organization. I love the process of it all, I love the guys in the locker room. I'm not giving up on us in this season. I just don't know any other thought, any other thing, than finding a way through.

Sometimes you've got to climb under the wall. Sometimes you've got to fight through it. Sometimes, there are battles and challenges that you face in life or in sports. I'm going to help lead the way in every way I can to make sure that we figure that out.”

What happens if Dart looks terrible in his first reps and all that positive flash he showed in the preseason goes by the wayside against some elite defenses that the Giants are bracing to face in the next month of the season?

It would paint an even grimmer picture of the current regime's decision-making. Still, they can turn back to Wilson to avoid letting the rookie bury himself and destroy his development.

Tabbing Winston for that role could be the easy answer if the Giants wanted to trade Wilson away and get back some return on their investment.

The mystery then becomes how long a spark he provides before his usual mishaps with protecting the football begin to set the offense back more than advancing it, and hinder Daboll's system from maintaining favorability with ownership.

The Giants entered the 2025 season with a tricky situation in their quarterback room, wanting to make a run with proven pieces yet knowing that the clock was ticking on handing the reins over to the potential franchise quarterback growing under Daboll's wing, a la Josh Allen.

Now, the confusion about the path that the position group would take is finally settling on Dart, who now has to figure out what he has learned and if his talents can help revive a once-proud franchise that has been starving for success amidst a nearly 15-year drought since their last Super Bowl title.

It's not going to be easy for Dart, who will face a strong Chargers defense. Still, the Giants must allow him the time necessary to grow in the game, make some rookie mistakes, and try to turn it into something magical that entices ownership to retain his teacher for another season.

Should that not begin to unfold in the next few games, and he looks far from capable, it might mean that heavy change is on the way throughout the building. However, it is also unreasonable to expect the Giants to leave him in and stunt his future, which is still in a developing phase despite his sudden change in role.

That means there is still a reason for Wilson to stick around, and while acquiring some extra draft capital for whoever is in control in 2026 to use is enticing, Giants fans should hold their breath to see if it happens.

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