The Giants’ depth chart at quarterback is coming into focus. Despite adding Jameis Winston, the team will usher in Russell Wilson. After visiting the Giants in back-to-back years, Wilson is coming aboard, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. Wilson has since confirmed the agreement.
Wilson will receive $10.5MM guaranteed on a one-year deal, per Schefter, who adds the nine-time Pro Bowler can earn as much as $21MM via incentives. Wilson had been waiting to sign for a bit, standing behind Aaron Rodgers in line amongst veteran quarterbacks.
This move effectively takes the Giants out of the Rodgers market. It had grow to be fairly clear Rodgers didn’t view the Giants as a desirable destination, despite the team making what’s believed to be his top offer this offseason. Nevertheless, the Vikings and Steelers have been more closely tied to the all-time QB talent in comparison with a team coming off a 3-14 season. And the Giants will move on. The Steelers had expected Rodgers to go to the Giants, via SI.com’s Albert Breer, but that not appears to be in play.
Wilson, 36, had viewed the Giants as a viable landing spot dating back to early February, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler adds. Back in 2021, he had also placed the Giants as a team he was enthusiastic about landing with via trade. He visited the team briefly in 2024, as an alternative joining the Steelers while the Giants made a final try to make the Daniel Jones contract work. With Jones long gone, Wilson will probably be all but certain to start out in Week 1 for the 2025 Giants.
Winston is now in place as a high quality backup, and the team will undoubtedly still look into QB prospects. Though, a report earlier today indicated the Giants could also be OK signing one other vet and looking out at passers available after No. 3 overall. Part one in all that scenario is now complete.
For Wilson, this provides a landing spot after he had been forced by the Giants and his 2024 team to attend on Rodgers. The Steelers had aimed to re-sign Justin Fields, but they may not keep Wilson’s primary 2024 backup off the market. Fields joined the Jets, and Wilson will now follow his former teammate to the Big Apple. The Rodgers watch continues, but it would now be Steelers, Vikings or retirement for the 20-year veteran.
This agreement should qualify as a relief for Wilson, who was effectively deemed a replaceable option by the Steelers, who ranked Fields and Rodgers ahead of him. Wilson has not closely resembled his superstar Seattle version since departing in a 2022 blockbuster trade, though he has shown flashes. This features a five-game win streak with the 2023 Broncos and having the Steelers — with an early assist from Fields — at 10-3 last season. But Pittsburgh sank to 10-8, losing a one-sided wild-card game in Baltimore. This prompted a reexamination from the Steelers, who’ve made it known they’re willing to attend on Rodgers. With the Giants out of the best way, that ought to probably embolden the Steelers, who clearly have some confidence Rodgers — his Vikings preference notwithstanding — stays in play.
The Browns joined the Giants in hosting Wilson, while Joe Flacco also visited Latest York about being a Giants bridge. A weekend report indicated the Giants would still pursue veterans even after Winston’s one-year, $4MM deal got here to pass. This could offer protection within the event the draft board doesn’t fall the Giants’ way.
It is just not a lock Shedeur Sanders will probably be available at No. 3 overall, with the Colorado product linked closely to Cleveland as well. The Giants have shown interest in trading as much as No. 1 overall, but Titans-Cam Ward ties are increasing. Ward will not be available, and while the Giants have been continually tied to Sanders, Wilson could offer some cover within the event an embattled Joe Schoen-Brian Daboll regime goes with a non-QB move in Round 1.
After a shocking decline marred Wilson’s 2022, he showed signs of life under Sean Payton in 2023. Wilson, who battled multiple injuries in 2022, didn’t miss any starts as a consequence of injury in ’23. He ranked eighth in passer rating, but QBR only slotted him twenty first. While a slimmed-down Wilson showed an increased interest in running during his ill-fated season with Payton, the Broncos attempted to maneuver his guarantee vesting date — to no avail — during a messy divorce that began midway through the ’23 season. Wilson remained the Broncos’ starter for 15 games, however the team benched him to guard an injury guarantee from vesting in Week 17. Denver then took on a record-smashing $83MM-plus in dead money to drop Wilson in March 2024.
QBR placed Wilson twenty second last season. Wilson had won the starting job over Fields to start out the season, however the achieved vet aggravated a training camp calf injury that led to 6 missed games. Select Steelers staffers and players voiced support to maintain Fields within the starting lineup, but Mike Tomlin overruled them, installing Wilson. At first, the longtime Steeler HC’s selection proved correct. Wilson piloted Pittsburgh to 6 wins in his first seven starts. Rumblings a couple of Steelers re-signing emerged during that stretch, one which included a game-winning TD pass (to Mike Williams) to down the resurgent Commanders and a 414-yard outing against the Bengals. Because the competition stiffened, nonetheless, the Steelers wilted. This led them to go one other way, installing Wilson as a fallback option.
Having previously rostered one other QB on the Hall of Fame fringe, in Latest York icon Eli Manning, the Giants now look to have one other. Wilson can have done enough to secure Canton access in Seattle, but his Denver decline invited some doubt. As Wilson has declined athletically, his penchant for taking sacks has been under the microscope. Wilson’s 560 sacks taken are fourth all time, though Rodgers’ 571 top the list. A Giants O-line that has been unable to depend on All-Pro LT Andrew Thomas will now be tasked with protecting a historically sack-prone passer.
That said, Wilson being the primary QB in NFL history to pair 40,000 passing yards with 5,000 rushing yards will help his eventual Canton case. A two-time Super Bowl starter who powered the Seahawks to eight playoff berths in his 10-season Seattle stay, Wilson also stays fourth in NFL history for rushing yards by a quarterback (5,462). The previous third-round pick’s best rushing days are actually far behind him.
Armed with one other probability to submit quality work, the 14th-year passer will now play with Malik Nabers and Darius Slayton in Latest York. The Giants are likely on the hunt for more tight end help, but they re-signed Slayton and selected Nabers over J.J. McCarthy, Bo Nix and Michael Penix last 12 months. Wilson is now the Giants’ bridge while Schoen and Co. assess the 2025 draft class.
Warming the seat for Sanders would represent latest territory for Wilson, who has never needed to fend off a rookie for his job. The Steelers gave Wilson assurances upon signing he can be their Week 1 starter; only injury prevented that. How the Giants proceed within the draft will determine how long of a leash Wilson likely has, but despite a down Steelers ending, he has secured a probability so as to add to his 199-start total.
