Good news for Jaxson Dart, bad news for Jameis Winston.
The New York Giants released the depth chart before Week 1 of the NFL season, and the rookie QB got the nod as the backup behind Russell Wilson. Jameis Winston was slotted as the third quarterback.
That means Dart -- rather than Winston -- will be active on Sunday when the Giants open the season against the Washington Commanders.
Wilson has been listed as the starter throughout camp, but Winston was expected to earn the backup job, according to Yahoo! Sports columnist Chris Cwik.
Dart was selected with the 25th overall pick in this year's draft, 10 years after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers chose Winston with the No. 1 overall selection in the 2015 NFL Draft. Winston has 154 career touchdowns and one Pro Bowl appearance.
But the future is now for Dart, who had a strong preseason. He completed 32 of 47 passes with three touchdowns and no interceptions. He also rushed for 52 yards and a touchdown.
"That was enough to convince the Giants that Dart was good enough to be Wilson's backup early on," Cwik writes. "Wilson saw his numbers decline with the Pittsburgh Steelers last season, tossing 16 touchdowns over 11 games. The 36-year-old could recapture some early-career magic with the Giants, but it's more likely the team will move off Wilson before the end of the 2025 NFL season."
ESPN's Seth Walder predicts the Giants will have Dart starting by Week 5.
"There has been buzz around Dart's preseason, and I can't imagine the Giants are too excited to cling to the Wilson era longer than they have to with a first-round QB waiting in the wings," Walder writes. "Facing the Saints in Week 5 could be a nice soft landing for Dart to begin his NFL career."
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