The New York Giants are getting a lot of heat for not starting rookie first-round quarterback Jaxson Dart early in the 2025 NFL season. At 0-2 going into Sunday night's Week 3 home game vs. the Chiefs, they are sticking with Russell Wilson, who struggled in Week 1 but rebounded well in Week 2.
The thoughts on offensive-minded head coach Brian Daboll putting Dart in the lineup are that a. he can be a better and more dynamic dual threat than Wilson, and b. the Giants need to accelerate flipping to the future, whether or not it's with Daboll.
Dart flashed well during training camp and the preseason to the point that the Giants have explored using special packages for him while Wilson starts. But are they making the right decision, easing Dart into action vs. rolling with him in a trial by fire?
Here's looking at the recent history of teams' initial benching of rookie first-round QBs and how that applies to the Giants, going back to 2017:
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When will Giants start Jaxson Dart?
First-round rookie QBs who started right away since 2017
- 2018: Sam Darnold, Jets (No. 3)
- 2019: Kyler Murray, Cardinals (No. 1)
- 2020: Joe Burrow, Bengals (No. 1)
- 2021: Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars (No. 1), Zach Wilson, Jets (No. 2), Mac Jones, Patriots (No. 15 overall
- 2023: Bryce Young, Panthers (No. 1), C.J. Stroud, Texans (No. 2, Anthony Richardson, Colts (No. 4 overall)
- 2024: Caleb Williams, Bears (No. 1), Jayden Daniels, Commanders (No. 2, Bo Nix, Broncos (No. 12)
- 2025: Cam Ward, Titans (No. 1)
There's no surprise that top overall picks dominate this list, accounting for six of the 13 quarterbacks. There is also a trio of No. 2 overall picks. Jones and Nix are the two anomalies outside of the top four. This group of first-round QBs who got starts in Week 1 of their rookie season is smaller than those who didn't.
Of these QBs, nine are still starting for those who drafted them. But only six have started games in the playoffs for their original teams. Only six have gone to the Pro Bowl, or fewer than half.
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First-round rookie QB who didn't start right away since 2020
- 2017: Mitchell Trubisky, Bears (No. 2), Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs (No. 10 Deshaun Watson, Texans (No. 12)
- 2018: Baker Mayfield, Browns (No. 1), Josh Allen, Bills (No. 7), Josh Rosen, Cardinals (No. 10), Lamar Jackson, Ravens, (No. 32)
- 2019: Daniel Jones, Giants (No. 6), Dwayne Haskins, Commanders (No. 15)
- 2020: Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins (No. 5), Justin Herbert, Chargers (No. 6), Jordan Love, Packers (No. 26)
- 2021: Trey Lance, 49ers (No. 3), Justin Fields, Bears (No. 11)
- 2022: Kenny Pickett, Steelers (No. 20)
- 2024: Drake Maye, Patriots (No. 3), Michael Penix Jr., Falcons (No. 8), J.J. McCarthy, Vikings (No. 10)
- 2025: Jaxson Dart, Giants (No. 25)
Most of these 19 quarterbacks were taken after No. 4 overall, with only Trubisky, Lance and Maye as the exceptions. The plan was for Herbert to sit, but he was thrust into action in Week 2 of his rookie season for injured Tyrod Taylor and has never looked back. The longest wait was for Love, who didn't start until 2023 after Aaron Rodgers left the Packers for the Jets.
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Nine of these players, including the late Haskins, aren't playing for the teams that drafted them. But nine also have gone to the playoffs with their original teams. Seven have been the Pro Bowl and three have combined to win five of the last seven NFL MVP awards (Allen, Mahomes and Jackson)
With all due respect to all the other successful QBs in either group, Giants fans are hoping most for results on par with Allen, Mahomes or Jackson. That's tied to Daboll's early boost to Allen in Buffalo and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka's work with Mahomes in Kansas City. It's also looking at Dart's athleticism as a gateway to get him on the field more as a rookie, a la Jackson.
How long did Josh Allen sit for the Bills?
After a disastrous Nathan Peterman start in Week 1 of the 2018 season vs. the Ravens, Allen started in Week 2 of his rookie season. He missed four games because on injury in the middle of the season, with Peterman, Derek Anderson and Matt Barkley replacing him. Allen ended up starting 11 games as a rookie, helping in his development to have a strong second season and has taken off to elite levels from there. The Bills have made the playoffs in every season since his Year 2.
Allen is the worthy reigning MVP with his passing and running ceiling. The Giants should hope lightning strikes the same way for Daboll with Dart.
How long did Patrick Mahomes sit for the Chiefs?
Unlike Mahomes, there was a better reason for Mahomes to sit with Alex Smith, coming a solid 11-4 season in 2026 and then putting up his career-best efficiency and downfield passing when Mahomes was sitting as a rookie.
Smith had given Reid and the Chiefs' offense a high floor, but Mahomes was teh ceiling in waiting. He got his first start in Week 17 as a rookie, flashing vs. the Broncos and foreshadowing his dominance of Denver and the entire league. No one could have seen Mahomes pass for 5,097 and 51 TDS and win MVP in his first start for the Chiefs. Kansas City, however, had a good process with Mahomes to guarantee he could push for those kinds of results after taking over a full-time role in his second season.
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For Dart to be benched for almost an entire season, it would take the Giants winning and Wilson playing well wire-to-wire in front of him. But it's more likely the Giants will be out of the NFC playoff race sooner rather than later and will have nothing to loss to see a lot more of Dart as a rookie. The Chiefs had a luxury the Giants might not have, but the Giants will do their best to wait as long as possible before rolling with Dart.
How long did Lamar Jackson sit for the Ravens?
Jackson got consistent mop-up and special package playing time, more as a runner than a passer, while Joe Flacco started the first nine games of the 2018 season, going 4-5. A hip injury to Flacco opened the door for Jackson to take over and make the final seven starts and keep the job for good.
The Ravens went 6-1 with Jackson as a rookie and played to his natural explosive rushing ability instead of forcing the issue too much with his developing passing. That experience, including a humbling playoff loss to the Chargers at home, set up Jackson to succeed Mahomes and win MVP in his second season and first full stint starting.
John Harbaugh and his staff excelled at tailoring their offense to Jackson's dual threat strengths, with Greg Roman giving Jackson his rushing high floor and Todd Monken pushing him into passing ceiling.
Reid, Sean McDermott and Harbaugh are three of the league's better coaches in put-together winning organizations. The key to all three thriving after sitting was making sure the Chiefs, Bills and Ravens were all set up with the ideal system and personnel to accelerate lifting up each QB to elite status.
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How long should Jaxson Dart sit for the Giants?
The window for Dart to start early is gone. But it also seems like a stretch where the Giants won't play him over Wilson until late in the season or even next year.
Wilson will have another roller-coaster season. The Chiefs present a much tougher defensive test than the Cowboys. Before the end of October, the Giants will have played the Eagles twice, with two other tough AFC West opponents, the Chargers and Broncos.
If the Giants don't roll him out for the favorable road matchup with the Saints in Week 5, there is no comfortable place to start him at home for a while. Week 10 at the Bears and Week 13 at the Patriots are two spots to watch before the bye, because that can be when the Giants are first out of playoff contention. If not after the bye in Week 14 it would give New York a solid four-week sample size on Dart to take into next season.
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Barring injury to Wilson (maybe to also Jameis Winston), Dart won't be rolled into the lineup. Eli Manning and Daniel Jones waited to start at different times with different offenses. That history is still part of the Giants' present.
As difficult it is for Giants fans who want to see all of what Dart can do, the Giants being patient with playing him will allow to do what all he can do better.