Russell Wilson Expects to Start for Giants

After not getting the answer he was looking for last year from the New York Giants during a 2024 visit, Russell Wilson finally got the assurance he was seeking in 2025.

“Yeah, I expect to be the starter and come in here and be ready to rock and roll every day,” the 14-year NFL veteran said during an introductory video call with the media on Wednesday.

“This team is really looking for somebody to lead them in every way in terms of process and the offseason, during the season, our habits and our thought process, how we create a great winning culture, and how do we continue to establish that, to really build on things that we do well and things we need to continue to do.”

Interestingly, Albert Breer of SI.com reports that the Giants plan to hold a competition between Wilson, Jameis Winston, Tommy DeVito, and, if they draft a quarterback, the rookie.

"The Giants’ plan, as I understand it, is simply to play the best player at the position," Breer wrote. "Wilson is the likely starter. But it might be Winston. It also might wind up being the third pick. But with the backstops they’ve given themselves in Wilson and Winston, they don’t have to force a quarterback at pick No. 3— with five of the top 105 picks, they could also take a Jaxson Dart or a Quinn Ewers later on."

Whoever it is--and the expectation is it will be Wilson--the Giants are counting on Wilson to add more wins to their record after a franchise-worse three-win season last year.

Wilson is up for helping to turn around what he thinks is a talented offense filled with playmakers who are mostly returning from last year but who, thanks in part to the dismal quarterback play, finished 30th in total yards per game and 31st in scoring.

“I think winning is a process. Winning is also a habit. So how do we go about that? What are our daily habits, our approach, mentality, and how do we communicate?” he said.

“There is no magic pill for (winning). You’ve got to do the work, love the hard work and the attention to detail it takes.”

The Giants' signing of Wilson, though, has left some unanswered questions, starting with the decline in his production and team-led wins over the last few years.

Since 2021, Wilson has been part of teams that have finished 23-32 with him as the starter.

He’s also seen his completion percentage take a slight dip, from 65.1% to 63.7%, and he’s averaged just 20.75 touchdown passes in that same four-year span versus 29.6 in the first nine years of his career.

“You never feel like you do enough unless you win it all. That's how I've always felt. I've had some amazing years and different things along the way,” Wilson said.

“Any time you don't win it all as a competitor, warrior, you want to be able to win it all and say you did it that year. My focus is doing it this year and trying to find a way to do it with these guys. That's what I'm really excited about.”

What he probably isn’t as excited about, though he didn’t admit it, is the possibility of the Giants drafting their future franchise quarterback next month, a guy Wilson could be asked to mentor.

Wilson didn’t seem bothered by that possibility.

“I think the first thing is you always handle yourself first. Get yourself prepared at the highest level and control what you can control,” he said.

“Part of that is doing everything I can to be my best every day. From leading in that sense, everybody else grows with you from that. They learn from you. They see how you work. See your practice habits and mental habits, how you go about them, and your approach every day.

“So I'm excited about the opportunity to continue leading not just the quarterback room, but the locker room in every way.”

Wilson smiled when asked why he seemed so optimistic about why he could potentially make the Giants a better team this year.

“Sometimes I love the underdog mentality as well. I think that's been my approach every day of my life. I don't know, maybe being 5'11" (laughs). I don't know what it is.

“A lot of people tell you that you can’t do something. But I love challenges. I love adversity. I love all that stuff. I think the best part is just trying to bring us to the other side of winning and what that looks like.”

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