The New York Giants will start Jameis Winston at quarterback against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, with Jaxson Dart sidelined in concussion protocol. Interim coach Mike Kafka made the announcement Wednesday, opting for Winston over Russell Wilson following Brian Daboll's firing. This marks a significant change for the struggling Giants amid their quarterback depth chart adjustments.
With rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart entering the NFL's concussion protocol after New York's loss to the Chicago Bears, the Giants have turned to veteran Jameis Winston as their starter for Week 11 against the Green Bay Packers. Interim head coach Mike Kafka informed reporters of the decision on Wednesday, placing the 31-year-old Winston ahead of 36-year-old Russell Wilson on the depth chart. Wilson had relieved Dart in the Bears game, completing 3 of 7 passes for 45 yards while taking two sacks, as the Giants squandered a double-digit lead in their fourth such collapse this season.
The move comes in the wake of Brian Daboll's dismissal after the Week 10 defeat, with Kafka stepping in as interim coach. Winston, who has been the Giants' emergency third quarterback and inactive throughout the 2025 season, last started for the Cleveland Browns in 2024. There, he went 2-5 as a starter, throwing for 2,121 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions across 12 games. Earlier in his career, Winston earned Pro Bowl honors in his 2015 rookie season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and led the NFL with 5,109 passing yards in 2019, though he also threw 30 interceptions that year—the first "30-30" season in league history. He later went 6-4 as a starter over four injury-plagued seasons with the New Orleans Saints.
Kafka hopes Winston's boom-or-bust style can revitalize the Giants' offense. Dart, meanwhile, is facing his fourth concussion evaluation this season but has shown promise, achieving a rushing touchdown in five straight games and becoming the fifth quarterback since 1970 to average 200 passing yards and 40 rushing yards per game in his first seven starts. Reports vary on Wilson's potential role, with some suggesting he could start instead, but Kafka has confirmed Winston as the choice. The Giants, mired in coaching and roster instability, face a Packers team favored by 7.5 to 8.5 points in betting lines.