The New York Giants are Jaxson Dart’s team now.
After an impressive debut last week, the rookie has injected new life into the Giants and alongside Cam Skattebo and a dominant defense it looks like the franchise has building blocks in place.
New York Giants star Jermaine Eleumanor gives fascinating insight on rookie Jaxson Dart
However, it was not long ago, Dart could have been the next big thing in the Bayou instead of the Big Apple.
Leading up to the 2025 draft, it was no secret the New Orleans Saints were in the market for a quarterback. They held the ninth overall pick, and Dart was projected to go in the latter half of the first round.
Maybe the Saints felt Dart at No. 9 was a bit too rich. They took Texas offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. instead. The Giants drafted Dart with the 25th overall pick.
The Saints took QB Tyler Shough at No. 40 in the second round, but four games in, they might be wishing they had gone with a quarterback sooner. They are 0-4 led by second year signal caller Spencer Rattler, while Shough watches from the bench.
The Saints showed a lot of interest in Dart but ultimately passed on him at No. 9 — something the rookie hasn’t forgotten as the Giants head to New Orleans on Sunday to face the team that had once been interested in him.
“There is always a chip on your shoulder any time something like that happens,” Dart said, via Jordan Raanan of ESPN. “But yeah, I’m just going to go out there and play as hard as I can.”
The Saints showed strong interest in Dart, hosting him for multiple pre-draft visits and leaving him with the impression he could be headed to New Orleans.
“Yeah, I felt like my visit with them went good,” Dart continued. “You kind of have thoughts in your head about what options are realistic, and I felt that was a place that could’ve panned out. But things didn’t work out that way.
“I love it here. There’s not a place that I’d rather be. I love just how passionate people are outside the facility, in the facility. I like the attitude the East Coasters have. It’s a lot of fun. So I love it.”
Dart now has the perfect opportunity to show everyone in the Saints organization what they missed out on.
2
Dart took the starting job from Russell WilsonCredit: Getty
2
If things keep going south, Shough could become the Saints’ starting QBCredit: Getty
Meanwhile, with Dart emerging as the Giants’ new starting QB, former starter Russell Wilson may soon be on the move.
Could Giants trade Russell Wilson?
Wilson is set to earn $10.5 million from the Giants this year, with $8 million coming as a signing bonus. This means any team trading for him would only take on a fraction of his $2 million base salary.
That makes a midseason trade financially feasible, especially with salary cap constraints. Hello Cincinnati Bengals.
With Joe Burrow sidelined for an extended period, potentially the entire season, the Bengals may seek outside help if Jake Browning and the team continue to struggle.
Over the last two weeks, the Bengals have been outscored 76-13 and rank as the worst offense in football. With weapons such as Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Chase Brown, and Mike Gesicki, there’s no reason they shouldn’t be able to stay afloat while Burrow is out.
Yet, it’s been an unmitigated disaster.
NFL’s Greatest……
Ranking the top 10……
The clock is ticking in Cincinnati, and it’s getting late early. Wilson’s time in New York is clearly over, so in theory it would make sense for both sides to come to a deal.
The question is, would Wilson really any more of an upgrade over Browning at this point? If Browning continues to play like he has the past two weeks, then yes, Wilson is.
He’s by no means what he once was, but he can still throw the moonball. And who wouldn’t want to see him launch those patented moonballs to Chase and Higgins?
Stay up to date with the latest from the NFL across all platforms – follow our dedicated talkSPORT USA Facebook page and subscribe to our talkSPORT USA YouTube channel for news, exclusive interviews and more.