Despite early reports that the Giants and quarterback Russell Wilson are expected to stay together, other expectations still persist that the veteran passer will become a trade target, per Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. Injuries have not been uncommon this year, and New York has the luxury of having signed two veterans in the offseason. If needy team comes calling with a good enough offer, it will be difficult for the Giants decline.
So far, both sides have been saying all the right things. Wilson has taken his benching in stride with a dedication to “respond in the right way” and serve as his successor’s mentor. He made sure to add, though, that he’s “not done,” and while that comment could be directed at his future following the expiration of his one-year deal in New York, it may also be directed at this season.
In New Orleans, second-round rookie quarterback Tyler Shough failed to beat out incumbent starer Spencer Rattler. Now, the winless Saints sit at 29th in scoring offense and may be searching for answers. They’ll want Rattler or Shough to earn some experience and develop a bit, but if neither quarterback shows potential to take over the offense, the team may want an early look at how Wilson might fit in.
The Bengals have a ton of offensive weapons, and though a one-game sample isn’t much, interim starting quarterback Jake Browning has not looked well-equipped to utilize them so far. If there’s really a belief that Joe Burrow could return to the active roster late in the season, trading for Wilson may give Cincinnati some hope at piling together enough wins to stay in the playoff race for a run with Burrow.
Other teams have seen injuries to their starting passers, but storing experienced backups like Carson Wentz, Tyrod Taylor, Mac Jones, and Marcus Mariota have helped the Vikings, Jets, 49ers, and Commanders to avoid disaster. Not every team may be so lucky in the case that their starting quarterback goes down, and such a scenario could certainly drive a team to pick up the phone and call New York.
The motives would be clear for both sides. For any team looking to trade for Wilson, they wouldn’t be asked to cover Wilson’s entire one-year, $10.5MM deal. Since $8MM of that contract came in the form of a signing bonus, any calling team would only be responsible for covering a portion of his $2MM base salary. As for the Giants, while they have confidence in rookie first-rounder, Jaxson Dart, any doubts of failure or injury are quickly remedied by the presence of Jameis Winston, who has proven to be an effective backup in the past.
Because of these factors, Wilson stands as a superfluous asset with potential value just burning a hole in New York’s pocket. With no significant need to hold on to Wilson and the potential that some needy team could offer up valuable draft capital or more, it’s hard to picture a future in which Wilson finishes the season with Big Blue.
After nearly becoming an early scratch on Sunday night, Giants kicker Graham Gano will miss at least the next four games. The Giants announced today that Graham has been placed on injured reserve after suffering a groin injury in warmups before last week’s game. Practice squad kicker Jude McAtamney will kick for the team this weekend.
Graham’s injury put the G-Men in a tough position on Sunday night. Despite rostering McAtamney as a backup on the practice squad, the timing of Gano’s injury came far too close to the start of the game for the Giants to have had time to bring up the taxi squad kicker. Instead, the team tried a number of alternative measures in the kicking game.
After driving down the field on the first possession on the game, New York faced a fourth-and-three at the Kansas City 28-yard line. Though they might have gone for it anyway, the lack of a primary kicker perhaps made the decision a bit easier; they did not convert. When the team actually did score a touchdown later on in the game, lefty punter Jamie Gillan came on for the extra point, kicked it too low, and had it blocked. In the fourth quarter, the offense got the ball to the seven-yard line and rushed the field goal team out onto the field, including a clearly ailing Gano. Gano made the 25-yarder but showed significant discomfort.
Now, Gano will be unable to come back to the field for at least four games. McAtamney hears his name called once again, after filling in as a backup kicker once last year for the Giants. In his only NFL game appearance, McAtamney converted both his only extra point attempt and his only field goal attempt — a 31-yarder.
Joining McAtamney from the practice squad as active players for the weekend will be outside linebacker Tomon Fox, defensive tackle Elijah Garcia, and linebacker Neville Hewitt. Fox and Garcia will be officially joining the 53-man roster, while Hewitt and McAtamney will be standard gameday practice squad elevations who will revert back to the practice squad after tomorrow’s game.
Garcia needed to be signed to the active roster in order to appear in another game for New York. He was elevated the maximum three times on a single practice squad contract through the first three weeks of the season. If New York chooses to do so, they could release Garcia after this week’s game and sign him back to the practice squad, and his three-game limit count would revert back to zero.
September 25th, 2025 at 11:42pm CST by Adam La Rose
One of the key questions surrounding the Giants leading up to the 2025 season concerned the quarterback position. Russell Wilsonhandled starting duties through the first three weeks, but the expected transition to rookie Jaxson Darthas officially taken place.
When first speaking about the move, head coach Brian Daboll made it clear Dart is viewed as New York’s QB1 the rest of the way. That comes as little surprise, especially given the inherent link between the promise Dart could show upon taking the field and the job security of Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen. Notably, Daboll has since doubled down on the fact he acted alone in making the switch.
“That’s the direction I wanted to go, and that’s the direction we’re going to go,” the fourth-year coach said (via Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post). “There are good conversations we had. Those are private, but ultimately it comes down to me.”
Daboll specified those conversations took place with players, but not with the other members of his coaching staff (h/t SNY’s Connor Hughes). Collaboration has long been a talking point during the Schoen-Daboll era, but the absence of it in this case has drawn attention. Considering the magnitude of Dart – a passer the current regime drafted after inheriting Daniel Jones– taking over as it pertains to potential changes on the sidelines and/or in the front office, it is indeed surprising this call was made unilaterally.
Just before the Giants’ Week 2 game, a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter stated the team was in no hurry to bench Wilson. The Super Bowl winner then threw for 450 yards in a high-scoring overtime loss, a game which seemed to earn him a longer look atop the depth chart. However, a primetime loss to the Chiefs (punctuated by more poor play in the red zone) led to Dart getting the nod for Week 4.
As Hughes notes, the Schefter report did not originate from Daboll. The embattled HC did not specify that Schoen and/or members of ownership were the source of the report, but Hughes adds that is the (rather strong) implication. This represents another layer to the Dart decision, one which will surely go down as a defining one for the current iteration of the Giants based on his success upon taking on starting duties.
The 0-3 Giants will host the 3-0 Chargers on Sunday. That will of course prove to be a challenge for Dart and the offense, a unit which will continue to see OC Mike Kafka handle play-calling duties. Given the specific nature of the decision to change quarterbacks, scrutiny on Daboll will no doubt increase quickly if things do not go according to plan.
September 25th, 2025 at 10:49pm CST by Adam La Rose
Six teams currently find themselves at 0-3 to begin the year. Managing to rebound from that mark and reach the playoffs has proven to be an extremely difficult task over the years.
Only four times has a team reached the postseason after starting 0-3 since 1990. Crucially, none have achieved the feat since the playoffs were expanded from six to seven teams in each conference in 2021. Whether or not that continues this season will be interesting to see.
Chances are slim for any of the league’s winless teams to rally into the postseason, but there is of course variance with respect to their prospects of doing so. There is an argument to be made the Texans represent the likeliest candidate to pull off such a comeback, based largely on their defensive success to date. Houston ranks fifth in the NFL in points allowed (17 per game on average) and the team’s losses have come by a combined margin of 13 points.
Improvement on offense could thus help turn things around in short order, but the Texans’ offseason renovations up front have not gone as planned so far. Third-year quarterback C.J. Stroudhas not been able to return to the form shown during his stellar rookie campaign, and a number of new pass-catchers are in the process of acclimating to an offense lacking a strong ground game. Catching the undefeated Colts for top spot in the AFC South would be a surprise at this point, but a wild-card berth could very much still be within reach if Nick Caley‘s unit can turn things around.
Houston will take on the Titans in Week 4 in a clash of teams seeking their first win. Tennessee entered the year with far lower expectations, but the team’s performance to date has still left plenty to be desired. The Titans lead the league in penalties (31) and rookie quarterback Cam Wardhas been sacked an NFL-high 15 times. Second-year head coach Brian Callahan sports a record of 3-17 at this point, and it remains to be seen if he will be entrusted with overseeing Ward’s development over the long term.
Callahan relinquished offensive play-calling duties this week, and he will now look to increase his involvement in other aspects of the team. Finding success in that regard would no doubt help his job security. It would also, presumably, allow for Tennessee to improve on last season’s 3-14 showing and offer signs of progress from Ward and a supporting cast in need of improvements moving forward.
Another intra-divisional Week 4 game will see the Dolphins take on the Jets. The first half of the upcoming Monday Night Football doubleheader will be key in determining both teams’ immediate futures. Miami was seen as a disappointment given how the 2024 campaign played out. Head coach Mike McDaniel has certainly not helped his standing in the organization so far this season, although a concerted effort to improve the Dolphins’ culture could help stave off a firing for he and general manager Chris Grier.
Finding a rhythm on offense has proven to be highly challenging in 2025, even with quarterback Tua Tagovailoamanaging to avoid any injuries to date. Stronger play on both sides of the ball will be needed if Miami is to reach the playoffs for the third time in McDaniel’s fourth season at the helm. Winning a postseason contest will become a major objective in that event, but for now quieting the rumors about major organizational changes will be the goal.
By contrast, 2025 marks another new beginning for the Jets. Rookie head coach Aaron Glennand first-year general manager Darren Mougey are seeking to provide the team with long-term stability in addition to ending a playoff drought which dates back to 2010. That effort has not gone according to plan so far, but a key element will be the evaluation of new quarterback Justin Fields. The former first-rounder is back at practice, and he will return to starting duties upon being cleared from concussion protocol.
Fields is under contract through 2026, but helping lead the Jets to the playoffs would greatly increase his chances of landing a long-term accord. It would also help Glenn and Mougey’s standing, although at this point their job securities are of course not in question. Still, a strong first campaign in New York (something which could be attained without a postseason berth, at least in theory) would be welcomed by the duo; a quick rebound from the way things have started would suffice, and it would be less surprising than one from some of the league’s other winless outfits.
New York’s NFC squad is in a state of flux in no small part due to another unwanted beginning to a campaign. Giants head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen managed to remain in place this offseason, but aside from a high-scoring output against the Cowboys things have not gone according to plan. The decision has been made to replace quarterback Russell Wilsonwith first-round rookieJaxson Dart, and the outcome of that move (beginning with a debut against the 3-0 Chargers) will be critical on a number of fronts.
Daboll and Schoen are known to be on the hot seat, and showing potential for a turnaround with Dart in place would go a long way in helping ensure they remain in place. Owner John Mara made clear his mandate for a step forward compared to 2024 (3-14), and plenty of work remains given how things have gone early in the current campaign. If the Giants are to at least contend for a wild-card spot this season, Dart will no doubt be a key figure in the process.
Joining the Jets as a team led by a rookie head coach encountering early struggles are the Saints. New Orleans underwent a number of offseason changes, with Kellen Moore‘s hire being the most noteworthy. The longtime NFL OC was a central figure in the decision to draft Tyler Shough, but instead of the second-rounder handling starting duties it has been Spencer Rattlerat the helm so far.
The Saints’ QB setup raised eyebrows amongst some of their players, but Rattler has improved upon his output from last season’s late spell in the starter’s role. Two of New Orleans’ losses, meanwhile, came about in one-score games. A postseason berth was not expected from the team, with many pointing to the 2026 draft as the point where a new franchise quarterback would arrive. Rattler (or potentially Shough, depending on how things play out) could earn an extended look in the QB1 role, however. A quick recovery toward postseason contention would come as a surprise, but at a minimum a bounce-back from last week’s lopsided loss in Seattle will be sought out. Doing so against the undefeated Bills will of course be a tall task.
Only once since 1990 has a team started 0-4 but managed to reach the playoffs. By contrast, moving to 1-3 has been more beneficial (with 35 teams doing so in that same span). The success of this year’s group in recording a first win this weekend and generating momentum beyond that point will make for an interesting storyline.
Out of this group of winless teams, which do you feel will have the best chance of rebounding and qualifying for the postseason in 2025? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and have your say in the comments section below.
Head coach Brian Daboll saidthat he expects Wilson to be the backup quarterback for the rest of the season, per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan. A parting of ways via a release or a trade is not under consideration. Wilson also shut down any talk of such a move.
“I’m focused on helping this team win. I’m focused on helping Jaxson,” he said on Wednesday (via Charlotte Carroll of The Athletic). “I want to be here. I love this organization.”
The Giants’ quarterback switch will naturally lead to trade speculation regarding Wilson, especially with quarterback injuries piling up around the league. But if neither side is interested in parting ways, it would take some significant interest to pry the 36-year-old out of New York. Given that his 78.5 passer rating is eighth-worst among QBs with at least 40 passing attempts to start the year, such an aggressive suitor is unlikely to come calling.
Wilson has also been in the NFL long enough to know that his early-season benching does not necessarily mean that he’ll be riding the pine for the rest of the year. The Giants originally planned to bring Dart along slowly but accelerated their timeline due to his progression and Wilson’s regression. If he struggles to get settled on the field, a coaching staff that’s rumored to be on the hot seat could get antsy and go back to their proven veteran.
In other words, there’s always a place for a quarterback with Wilson’s experience and pedigree on a team desperate for a solution under center.
September 24th, 2025 at 11:40am CST by Adam La Rose
SEPTEMBER 24: As should be expected given Dart’s first-round pedigree, Daboll confirmed (via the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy) the intention is for Dart to start for the rest of the season. Wilson will be the confirmed backup, with Daboll adding (via Dunleavy) he made the call to bench the 14th-year veteran.
The Giants proceeded this way with Daniel Jones after he replaced Eli Manning in Week 3 of the 2019 season, and they made a full-on transition to Manning in Week 11 (in place of Kurt Warner) of the 2004 slate. With Wilson on a one-year contract and the Giants at 0-3, this change will give Dart a long runway to develop in Daboll’s offense.
SEPTEMBER 23: Following another sub-par performance from Russell Wilsonin Week 3, questions were again raised about the possibility of a quarterback change being made by the Giants. Head coach Brian Daboll left the door open to Jaxson Darttaking over during his Monday remarks.
It appears that will indeed be the case. Dart is expected to receive the nod for Week 4, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. This will be the first-round rookie’s first start in the regular season and presumably bring about an end to Wilson’s time atop the depth chart moving forward. After starting for three weeks, Wilson will handle backup duties, Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network add.
New York sits at 0-3 on the year and a matchup with the 3-0 Chargers is next on the schedule. That led many to predict Wilson would remain atop the depth chart for one more game before what should be a much more manageable contest against the Saints in Week 5. Indeed, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports conversations took place about waiting one more week before making the switch. Instead, Dart will get the nod against Los Angeles.
The Chargers rank fourth in the NFL in points allowed and eighth in total defense. They will thus represent a strong challenge for Dart as he takes on first-team duties on Sunday. Regardless of how things go in that game, though, Daboll and Co. are set to commit to the 22-year-old moving forward. With the Giants’ coaching staff and general manager Joe Schoen widely known to be on the hot seat, the expected move to Dart at some point in the season has been a major talking point in 2025.
Given today’s news, that transition is now set to take place before the first month of the campaign is even in the books. Dart impressed during the spring as well as training camp and the preseason, leading to a report earlier this month that he could ascend to the QB1 role earlier than expected. Nevertheless, it appeared after Week 1 that New York’s preference was to keep Wilson in place as the team’s starter as long as possible.
That stance appeared to be a sound one when Wilson threw for 450 yards during a high-scoring overtime loss to the Cowboys in Week 2. However, the Giants’ Sunday night loss to the Chiefs produced a return to Wilson’s previous form (and that of the offense in general). With improvement sorely needed moving forward, Dart will now take charge.
Wilson – who was added on a one-year deal featuring $10MM guaranteed this spring – has struggled mightily on third down and in the red zone. The Giants rank 31st in the league in both categories (h/t Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer), something which has driven this decision but also represents another illustration of Wilson’s decline. The 36-year-old did not manage to duplicate his Seahawks success during a two-year run in Denver (which saw him benched late in Year 2). 2024 saw the Steelers experiment with Wilson and Justin Fieldsat the QB spot, but things did not go according to plan.
Fields handled starting duties until Wilson was healthy from a summer calf injury; not everyone in the Steelers’ building agreed with the switch. Head coach Mike Tomlin kept the Super Bowl winner in place through the remainder of the campaign, though, a period which included a four-game losing streak to end the regular season and then a wild-card loss. Wilson’s market was strong enough to include interest from multiple teams, but it came as little surprise he accepted a short-term gig in New York despite the team’s need of a long-term QB investment.
After taking Abdul Carterthird overall, the Giants traded back into the first round to select Dart. The USC and Ole Miss alum saw his production increase with each passing campaign, and he drew praise for his athleticism and efficiency in college. On the other hand, questions linger about Dart’s ability to acclimate to the NFL game in a more complex offense. That process will begin very early in his rookie campaign.
Gano tweaked his groin during warmups before Sunday’s game against the Chiefs. That clearly affected the Giants’ decision-making. Punter Jamie Gillan was inserted for kickoffs and PATs, and Brian Daboll elected to go for a fourth-and-3 rather than kick a 45-yard field goal on New York’s first drive. Gillian’s extra point attempt on the Giants’ sole touchdown was blocked, and the team later called on Gano for a successful 25-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.
Adding Koo to the practice squad indicates that there is at least a chance that Gano’s injury could sideline him for the Giants’ Week 4 matchup with the Chargers. This would not be Gano’s first injury absence as a Giant. He has been one of the more unreliable kickers in recent memory, missing seven games last season and nine in 2023.
That would give Koo another chance to play in 2025 after being released by the Falcons last week. He missed a game-tying field goal as time expired in the regular season opener, and Atlanta decided to bench him in Week 2 favor of John Parker Romo. He aced his audition by making all six of his kick and received a two-year deal before Week 3 while Koo was sent packing.
The Giants will be hoping Koo can look more like his pre-2024 form if he has to play. From 2019-2023, he was one of the most accurate kickers in the league with a 89.9% conversion rate across 74 games for the Falcons.
The team will also be monitoring Gano carefully this week. He was extremely consistent during his first three years in New York and was five-for-five on field goals and four-for-four on extra points to start the 2025 season. However, his play took a hit amid IR stints in 2023 and 2024, so taking a cautious approach and allowing his groin to fully heal might be the smartest path forward. Signing Koo gives the Giants flexibility to do just that.
September 23rd, 2025 at 9:53am CST by Adam La Rose
The Giants will be shorthanded in the backfield for a stretch. Tyrone Tracysuffered a dislocated shoulder during the team’s Week 3 loss, and he is set to miss time.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Tracy is expected to miss between two and four weeks while recovering from the injury. As a result, Tracy is set to be sidelined for regular season action for the first time in his young NFL career. The 2024 fifth-rounder logged a full campaign as a rookie, and he continued operating as a regular on offense this year prior to going down on Sunday.
As the Giants began the post-Saquon Barkleyera, Tracy emerged as a key figure in the backfield. He started 12 games and amassed 230 touches in 2024; that workload resulted in 1,123 scrimmage yards and six total touchdowns. Early in the current campaign, the 25-year-old’s efficiency has taken a step back on a Giants offense which has underperformed twice in three games. Still, Tracy’s absence will be felt over the coming weeks.
In the meantime, New York will move forward with veteran Devin Singletaryas an experienced backfield option. The team also has fourth-round rookie Cam Skattebo in the fold as a candidate for an increased workload. Skattebo received only two carries during his debut, but he has handled double-digit attempts for each of the past two contests. That could very well continue with Tracy temporarily out of the picture.
For the time being, questions surrounding the 0-3 Giants are centered on their setup at quarterback. It is currently unclear if Russell Wilsonwill remain atop the depth against the Chargers in Week 4 or if that game will mark the point at which the reins are handed over to first-round rookie Jaxson Dart. The futures of many key Giants staffers (including head coach Brian Daboll, general manager Joe Schoen and others) are well known to be hanging in the balance at this point.
As such, New York’s offense will be a unit to watch closely. Regardless of what takes place in the near future on that front, though, Tracy will not be in the fold.
September 22nd, 2025 at 11:30pm CST by Sam Robinson
Even as Russell Wilson exited Week 2 with the NFL’s top passing yardage total, boos rang out at MetLife Stadium during the Giants’ Sunday-night loss. Some cheers emerged for Jaxson Dart as well. A large sect of Giants fans may be close to seeing the desired QB switch occur.
Brian Daboll shut down reporters’ inquiries into the Giants’ quarterback situation postgame, and on Monday, the fourth-year HC still refused to back Wilson for a Week 4 start. Daboll’s staff is “evaluating everything” when asked about a potential Wilson-for-Dart move.
“Yeah, I’m not saying who’s starting or who’s not starting,” Daboll said, via ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan. “I’m just saying we’re evaluating everything right now. We’re going through the tape from [Week 3], and we’re evaluating every position right now.”
This catch-all answer certainly falls in the heart of the coach-speak lexicon, but as Raanan points out, Daboll’s response is similar to the one he gave before the Giants benched Daniel Joneslast November. The Giants benched Jones following a loss to the Panthers in Germany, but they had a bye week to make that move — one that featured salary implications. New York’s bye this season does not arrive until Week 14, and no real salary issues are at play with Wilson.
When Dart is deemed ready, he almost definitely will be plugged into the starting lineup. Wilson has long been a placeholder, and even as false hopes of the potential Hall of Famer holding off the first-round pick throughout the season were floated, it was difficult to expect the starter — especially as Daboll and GM Joe Schoen reside on hot seats — to stave off a challenge from a player this power structure traded up for in the draft. While this would certainly be considered a quick hook, Daboll and Schoen would seemingly not want to go down without at least seeing what their overdue investment can do.
After all, Daboll and Schoen moved closer to the chopping block after a failed trade-up effort (for Drake Maye) led to Jones being given one more chance. As expected, that backfired as the Giants started 2-8. Ditching all their QBs from last season once Tommy DeVito was waived, the Giants rebooted around two vets (Wilson and Jameis Winston) mentoring Dart. The Giants have not made Winston, who is on a two-year contract (with Wilson on a one-year pact), available in trades.
The Ole Miss alum has been used as a package player over the past two weeks, working as a rushing option — with no pass attempts yet. Dart leapfrogged Winston on Big Blue’s depth chart before the season began, and rumors about an earlier-than-expected debut loomed after a rough Wilson Week 1 outing. The former No. 1 overall pick being given a chance before Dart would generate confusion at this point, though the high-variance passer being plugged in to provide a spark should not be entirely dismissed due to having made 87 career starts.
Daboll specified New York’s passing attack was the top area in need of improvement, Raanan adds. That is an interesting stance to take considering Wilson’s 450-yard performance in Dallas, but long-range interceptions have become a problem for the 14th-year passer. Two such misfires occurred against the Chiefs, inviting the prospect of Wilson being benched ahead of the Giants’ Week 4 game against the Chargers. While the Bolts have proven to feature a formidable defense, a Dart debut in New Orleans in Week 5 has always loomed as possible. Sunday could be Wilson’s last stand as an NFL starter.
Viewed as a player who needed some developmental time behind Wilson, Dart impressed during the preseason. Wilson has also changed teams three times since 2022 and needed to wait for Aaron Rodgers to rule out the Giants before receiving a chance. At this rate, the former Super Bowl winner may join Eli Manning as one of the more interesting Hall of Fame cases in recent NFL history; a starting job would seemingly be hard to come by for the declining vet (37 in November) come 2026. Should the Giants hold off on benching the 202-start player or go with the rookie in Week 4?
