New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton knows all about the pressure of a quick quarterback switch. Back in 2019, as a rookie, he watched then-coach Pat Shurmur bench veteran Eli Manning and hand the starting job to first-round pick Daniel Jones just three games into the season. That move against the Buccaneers didn’t go smoothly, and Slayton thinks it hurt Jones in the long run.
Fast forward six years, and the winless Giants face a similar crossroads. Coach Brian Daboll is weighing whether to pull the plug on veteran Russell Wilson and turn to rookie first-rounder Jaxson Dart. It could happen as soon as Sunday’s matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Slayton, now one of the team’s longest-serving players, shared his thoughts on Monday. He pointed to that 2019 moment with Jones, whose Giants tenure ended on a sour note before the team released him last season. Jones bounced back strong this year with the Indianapolis Colts, leading them to a perfect 3-0 start.
“Even if you look back at 2019 with Eli and DJ,” Slayton said, referring to Jones. “DJ got thrown into the fire in Week 3 of my rookie year, expected to win games while still figuring things out.”
Slayton believes young quarterbacks like Dart need time to grow. He held up Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes as the perfect example. Mahomes sat out his entire 2017 rookie season behind Alex Smith, then exploded into a two-time MVP and three-time Super Bowl champion.
“We just played a guy [Sunday] who didn’t play at all his rookie year, and he’s probably going to go down as the greatest ever,” Slayton said of Mahomes. “If he benefited from waiting and learning, anybody can.”
He mentioned other NFL successes too, like Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, who also bided his time before shining. “A lot of quarterbacks in this league took their time to grow, learn, and watch,” Slayton added. “I want Jaxson Dart to be a perennial All-Pro, Pro Bowl, Super Bowl-winning quarterback one day.”
Slayton gives credit to Chiefs coach Andy Reid for that patient approach, which has led to multiple Super Bowl wins. So why rush Dart now? “Let him wait while he can,” Slayton suggested.
That doesn’t mean Slayton opposes the change. He called Dart talented and quick to learn, fully capable of becoming a solid NFL quarterback. But if the Giants make the switch and things start rough—maybe a lackluster game or two—Slayton urged everyone to show grace.
“Don’t boo him after a game or two if he struggles, which I don’t expect,” Slayton said. “Give him time to grow, let us gel as a team, and figure out what being an NFL quarterback really means.”
In the end, Slayton hopes Dart gets the development chance that he feels Jones missed. “I hope Jaxson Dart gets that opportunity to become a good quarterback if he plays,” he said. It’s a reminder that building a franchise quarterback takes patience in the high-stakes world of NFL football.
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