Russell Wilson Might Not Be Able To Hold off Jaxson Dart for Much Longer
Russell Wilson showed he can still cook.
He no longer gets three stars on the Michelin Guide, but he’s not flipping burgers at the tailgate party in the MetLife Stadium parking lot, either.
So how much longer is Wilson going to be in charge of the New York Giants’ kitchen?
After hearing calls for his job after a Week 1 loss at Washington, the 36-year-old Wilson shredded the host Dallas Cowboys secondary last week, throwing for 450 yards — two shy of his career high — and three touchdowns in the New York Giants’ 40-37 overtime loss.
“I know how talented I am. I know what I’m capable of,” Wilson said when asked about critics who had been calling for apprentice Jaxson Dart to take over. “I don’t need someone to convince me of that. I don’t need outside praise or criticism to convince me of what I’m capable of. … This game meant a lot to me. It was time to answer the call. You know what I mean? For me, it was important to do that — not for anyone else. Just for myself.”
The dessert might have been a bit off — an interception in overtime that led to the Cowboys’ winning field goal — but Wilson will continue slicing and dicing for the Giants’ home opener Sunday night against the three-time defending AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs, who have reached the Super Bowl in five of the past six seasons.
“He’s resilient,” said Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers, who devoured nine Wilson passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns but wasn’t on the same page of the menu on the fateful OT interception. “He knows his preparation. He’s comfortable in there. After that first game, he didn’t look back. He stayed with the same mindset, stayed putting everybody up, stayed in high hopes.”
When grilled, veteran backup QB Jameis Winston said it best: “I saw Russ being Russ.”
Had Wilson not produced a piece de resistance, he might’ve already been demoted to sous chef.
After Wilson was 17 of 37 for 168 yards in a 21-6 flop against the Commanders, coach Brian Daboll declined to immediately name Wilson the Game 2 starter, leading to rampant speculation. Instead, the Giants prepared a few zone-read plays for Dart, the No. 25 overall pick this spring out of Ole Miss. Dart played three snaps in Dallas, a pair of handoffs and a 3-yard loss on a rush.
Daboll said Wilson seemed unaffected by the knives lobbed his way.
“I don't really think Russ worries about that, to be honest with you. I think he's done this for so long. You know it's going to come with the territory, being the quarterback in this league,” Daboll said. “It was business as usual for him during the week. He was preparing and studying, doing all the things at practice. The other stuff that comes with it, I don't think he focuses on that.”
Even if Wilson keeps sizzling, Dart might get his chance sooner rather than later.
A loss to the Chiefs would drop the Giants to 0-3, with a game the following week against the unbeaten Los Angeles Chargers.
After that comes a trip to winless New Orleans, which could be an opportunity to sample Dart’s Cajun cuisine. But Wilson shouldn’t be counted out, as he showed against Dallas.
“As much as people talked last week, kind of got to put your foot in your mouth now,” Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton said. “He kind of answered all your guys’ questions.”
And tastefully so.
Lions Projected to Find New Frank Ragnow Replacement
The Detroit Lions are trying to replace two coordinators this season. But another departure the team is currently dealing with is center. Veteran Frank Ragnow retired following the 2024 campaign, which gave Detroit a significant hole in the middle of the team’s offensive line. On Friday, SI on College Football’s Randy Gurzi predicted the Lions to fill that void during the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
In a new mock draft, Gurzi projected the Lions to select Auburn center Connor Lew at No. 28 overall.
“Frank Ragnow’s retirement was shocking, and it gives the Lions one major need,”
Lew was the only center off the board in the first round of Gurzi’s mock draft. Although he was a late first-rounder in the mock, Lew was also just the fourth offensive linemen to be selected.
Could Lions Select Center Early in 2026 NFL Draft?
There’s a long way to go before the 2026 NFL Draft. As a result, there are three big unknowns — Detroit’s biggest need entering 2026, which prospects will best fit those needs, and where the Lions will be selecting in the first round.
With those unknowns, it’s pretty difficult to project anything about the 2026 NFL Draft.
After Ragnow’s retirement, veteran interior offensive lineman Graham Glasgow moved to center for the Lions. Last year, Glasgow started at left guard in Detroit.
The veteran has previously started at center in his career. This season, though, his results have been mixed through the first two weeks.
Ragnow was regularly one of the top-rated centers in the PFF player grades over the last few years. He also made three consecutive Pro Bowls from 2022-24 and second-team All-Pro three times with the Lions, including in 2023 and 2024.
But Ragnow retired at 29 years old this offseason in large part because of significant nagging injuries.
Lew has been a star at Auburn since his freshman season. He could offer the Lions an immediate all-around upgrade in the middle of the offensive line.
“Now entering his third season as the Tigers’ starting center, Lew has already been pegged by head coach Hugh Freeze as ‘an NFL center’ and is generating legitimate buzz as a potential first-team All-SEC performer,”
Could the Lions Move Tate Ratledge to Center?
Gurzi correctly identified center as a need for the Lions. But it’s possible the team already has its franchise center of the future.
In the 2025 NFL Draft, the Lions selected interior offensive linemen Tate Ratledge and Miles Frazier. Detroit picked Ratledge, who is starting at right guard this season, at No. 57 overall in the second round.
Ratledge has the potential to play center in his NFL career.
“I don’t know what the future’s going to bring. But yeah, I just think, we felt good about trying him here,”
“But when you start looking at the whole combination of him and [Glasgow] and everything, I think that that was the best thing for not only the players being put in the best positions, but also for the team.”
If Lew offers the Lions generational center potential, then perhaps the team selects the Auburn lineman to start him next to Ratledge. But if Ratledge could start at center, it wouldn’t be surprising for the Lions to target a different need in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
