It appears that the Jaxson Dart era has officially begun for the Giants after the rookie quarterback led the team to an upset win over the previously undefeated Chargers in his debut as the starting quarterback.
Brian Daboll was overjoyed after the team secured its first win of the year, and he and Dart shared a huge embrace on the field in the aftermath. For all intents and purposes, it seems as if the first-round rookie has full control over the starting quarterback job in New York, and he'll almost certainly be under center again in Week 5 against the Saints.
So, what does this all mean for Russell Wilson? Wilson started the first three games of the season for the Giants, and even had a vintage showing in Week 2 when he threw for 450 yards and three touchdowns. Ultimately, it wasn't enough to maintain his grip on the QB1 role in New York. After the 0-3 start, Daboll turned to Dart, and now it seems as if Wilson will be the backup for the foreseeable future.
A trade, however, could change that. With multiple quarterbacks dealing with injuries, and others struggling, there are organizations that could potentially have their eyes on Wilson in the coming weeks. The trade deadline remains more than a month away, but the former Super Bowl champ could be on the move now that he's holding the clipboard for Dart.
If Russ is moved in a mid-season deal, what teams would make sense as potential fits? We'll look at a few teams that could be interested in bringing Wilson aboard to stabilize their quarterbacks room.
Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals are an obvious fit for Wilson after Joe Burrow went down with an injury that has him set to miss at least three months. Jake Browning has been inconsistent at best under center for Cincinnati, throwing five interceptions in two games and struggling in a blowout loss to the Vikings in Week 3.
In need of a more experienced hand at quarterback, Wilson would make plenty of sense for the Bengals, who are still 2-1 on the year heading into their Monday night game against the Broncos. Wilson played in the AFC North as recently as last season with the Steelers, a team the Bengals still have to play twice this year, and although he's not the player he was in his prime, he's still capable of putting up big numbers, as he showed in Week 2.
If the Bengals want to compete for a spot in the playoffs in hopes of Burrow potentially making it back for the postseason, Wilson will give them a much better chance of doing it than Browning. And if Burrow isn't able to return, they'll have a more experienced quarterback under center to work with their elite receiving corps.
Las Vegas Raiders
The Geno Smith experiment has gotten off to a rotten start in Las Vegas. Smith had his second three-interception game of the season in Week 4 against the Bears, tossing three picks before halftime as he failed to get in rhythm. How much patience do the Raiders have with the veteran quarterback? He signed a big contract with the organization this offseason, but he could be cut after the 2025 season at a cost of $18.5 million in dead cap space.
Would the Raiders be so quick to move on from Smith and bring in Wilson in order to salvage their season? It seems a bit unlikely, but Wilson is on a manageable one-year contract, and the Raiders may feel they can still compete with a change at quarterback after starting the year 1–3. Plus, Wilson is plenty familiar with Raiders coach Pete Carroll, whom he spent many years with in Seattle.
New Orleans Saints
The Saints drafted Tyler Shough in the second round but elected to roll with Spencer Rattler as their starting quarterback. Unsurprisingly, they're 0-4 to start the year. If they want to give Shough a chance to learn from an experienced quarterback, Wilson would be a vastly preferable starter to follow than Rattler, who's proven little in his career in the league.
Wilson could get a chance to remain a starter in the NFL, while Shough can study the process of a Super Bowl-winning and 10-time Pro Bowl quarterback before eventually taking the reins himself. The Saints don't seem very likely to compete for anything but the No. 1 pick in the 2025, but bringing in Wilson could help enhance the development of Shough, if they consider him to be their quarterback of the future.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Three Potential Russell Wilson Landing Spots After Jaxson Dart Stakes Claim As Giants Starter.
