Is There Any Reason for Giants to Bring Back Pending UFA QB Russell Wilson?

The NY Giants experiment with Russell Wilson was largely a failure, meaning there is no reason to bring him back. Or is there?

Sep 21, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson (3) looks to pass against the Kansas City Chiefs in the second quarter at MetLife Stadium. | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Russell Wilson, QB

• Height: 5-foot-11
• Weight: 206 lbs.
• Age: 37
• NFL Exp.: 14 Years
• College: Wisconsin

Following the end of their 2024 season, which ended with a 3-14 record and a quarterback carousel after the team ultimately released Daniel Jones amid a flailing performance for the former No. 6 pick, the New York Giants finally concluded they were ready for a new era under center. 

While they had their sights set on drafting a rookie arm in the upcoming 2025 class, the Giants didn’t want to throw that young quarterback to the wolves from the jump, nor feel the pressure to rush him into action if the season were to spiral out of control early on. 

General manager Joe Schoen would thus initiate his two-step plan for the quarterback position during the offseason, signing two proven veterans in Russell Wilson, who signed a one-year, $10.5 million contract, and Jameis Winston, before reaching back into the first round of the NFL Draft to procure Ole Miss product Jaxson Dart to learn behind them as the future of the franchise. 

The Giants’ commitment to Wilson was that he would open the season as the team’s starter, hopefully guiding them into a respectable record while Dart developed on the sidelines.

If things went south, which they did as the team began the year 0-3 before finishing 4-13, the pressure might get ratcheted up for the novice to enter the fold sooner rather than later. 

Before all that, the Giants were intrigued with the idea of bringing Wilson to East Rutherford to serve as the bridge arm for simple reasons.

He was a 10-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion with all the experience and a staple moonball that could help the offensive huddle get back to being efficient and successful with the young weapons they had.

Wilson’s pro career resume as a passer has spanned 14 seasons, in which he has amassed 3,961 completions on 6,120 attempts for 46,966 yards, 353 touchdowns, and 114 interceptions.

He also has flashed some mobility in his career, with 1,042 carries for 5,568 yards and 31 touchdowns on the ground. 

The 2020 Walter Payton Man of the Year award winner started his journey with the Seattle Seahawks, who drafted him in the third round (No. 75 overall) of the 2012 draft.

For the next 9 seasons, he appeared in all 16 games for the franchise, while posting 3,000+ passing yards and at least 20 touchdowns in each. 

The most memorable season came in 2013, when Wilson threw 3,357 yards with a 25-9 TD-INT ratio and led the Seahawks to a league-leading 13-3 record and a massive run to winning the championship in Super Bowl XLVIII, 43-8, over the Denver Broncos, which took place at the Giants’ home in MetLife Stadium. 

In 2021, the Seahawks decided it was time for a change and traded Wilson to the Broncos for a massive haul of draft picks and players.

The Broncos would pair him with legendary head coach Sean Payton and hand him a huge five-year, $254 million contract, making him one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL at the time. 

Wilson’s second stop wouldn’t go as well as his first, as the Broncos went 13-21 with him under center and owned the league’s worst scoring offense in his first year in 2022.

He was also the most sacked quarterback that season (55) and underwent a knee procedure that offseason, which impacted his overall performance in 2023. 

After being benched by the Broncos in the final stretch, Wilson was released at the start of the 2024 league year and, two days later, signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers to a one-year deal.

He once again suffered a calf injury in training camp and missed the first five games before starting the final 11 games, throwing 16 touchdowns and five interceptions and leading the Steelers to a Wild Card round appearance. 

Even that wasn’t enough for Pittsburgh to feel they got their money’s worth out of an aging veteran and went out to the free agent market once again, where the Giants would eventually come calling to make him the No. 1 option as they discerned their new direction at the helm.

2025 Recap

Sep 14, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson (3) passes the ball against the Dallas Cowboys during the second quarter at AT&T Stadium. | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

The Giants essentially promised Russell Wilson at the time of his signing that he would ultimately be the team’s starter at the end of training camp, with Jameis Winston backing him up and Jaxson Dart beginning his development in the No. 3 hole. 

Even during the team’s summer sessions, Dart was impressive to both the coaches and football minds on the outside with his arm strength and confidence, qualities that aren’t typical of most rookies coming into their first NFL camp. 

Dart made a push with Winston for the No. 2 role, but the Giants remained consistent in their message that Wilson would be their starter for Week 1, believing they could win more football games than they did in 2024 with his leadership. 

Sadly, it wasn’t the case at all. The Giants went 0-3 in Wilson’s first three starts, in which he finished under 200 yards passing twice and threw the same number of touchdowns (3) as interceptions.

He was also sacked seven times in that span, as his aging mobility was tested by the offensive line's lackluster protection early in the season.

The Giants finished the season ranked 27th in red-zone scoring percentage, but with Wilson, they went 2-for-10 and averaged just 17.3 points per game, settling for field goals or turnovers on downs.

It felt for a moment like Wilson might have been rounding the turn in Week 2 against the Dallas Cowboys, when he gave a vintage performance against a weak defense and threw for 450 passing yards, three touchdowns, and one interception while completing 73.2% of his throws and a couple of moon balls.

The Giants still lost that game on a 64-yard field goal by Brandon Aubrey in regulation and another 46-yard kick in overtime to fall 40-37, and followed it up with an offensive clunker at home against the Kansas City Chiefs. 

Amid growing calls for the team to move away from the veteran and give the rookie a chance, head coach Brian Daboll elected to bench Wilson ahead of the Giants’ Week 4 clash with the Los Angeles Chargers and start Dart, who carried the team to a 21-18 upset that kickstarted his tenure as the lead signal caller. 

Wilson would appear on the field two more times throughout the season, for one snap against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 6 and 11 dropbacks against the Chicago Bears after Dart had to leave the game to be checked in the blue medical tent for a concussion. 

He was eventually demoted to the third-string quarterback in the back half of the season and was inactive for those contests while Winston jumped into the fold a couple of times as Dart’s backup. Wilson finished with 69 completions for 381 yards and a career-low QBR of 25.6. 

Why the Giants Should Keep Him

Sep 14, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson (3) runs onto the field for warmups before the game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

The one positive thing about keeping Russell Wilson in the building for the 2026 season is his character and the leadership he can bring to the locker room.

Even amid his benching, he didn’t stop showing total professionalism and serving as a support system for Jaxson Dart and the other young players around him. 

As the Giants seek to continue building a winning program under new head coach John Harbaugh, it might be a benefit to have Wilson in the room to continue offering the right messaging and insight to young players like Dart, who are working to raise the franchise back into a perennial contender. 

Dart had publicly voiced his appreciation for Wilson’s mentorship throughout the season and the tough changes that were made under center.

As a Super Bowl champion and player who has had to deal with criticism in his career, he could be the right guy to stick around and offer Dart that knowledge and the Giants an extra security blanket, having played in big spots.

Why the Giants Shouldn't Keep Him

Dec 28, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson (3) looks on after the game against the Las Vegas Raidersat Allegiant Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

In terms of needing a backup quarterback, the Giants are in a pretty good situation with Jameis Winston under contract for the 2026 season at a very low price for a No. 2 gunslinger. Resigning Russell Wilson, even to another one-year deal, might not come at the same team-friendly cost.

In addition, Wilson firmly believes he still has something to offer a quarterback-needy team in the NFL. He might not want to re-sign with the Giants to be buried on the depth chart when he has a good chance to be recruited for a starting job elsewhere for one of the teams desperate for an addition at the position. 

There are a few teams at the top of the draft order who need a quarterback, but this year’s class is not very impressive. Wilson could garner some interest in free agency and possibly earn a more lucrative contract from a team that is willing to overpay for a proven veteran to bridge the gap next season.

Meanwhile, the Giants could either tap into the open market for a cheaper option or, depending on how their other needs get filled, consider drafting a developmental quarterback late in the draft to fill in the No. 3 slot.

Keep or Move On?

Jan 4, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson (3) waves to fans after the game against the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Given Russell Wilson’s desire to keep playing ball at the highest level and the Giants’ respect for him, it seems more likely that they let him walk and find his next opportunity in free agency. 

The Giants are fully invested in Jaxson Dart, who has shown flashes of being the long-term answer the franchise has been missing since Eli Manning retired at the end of the 2019 season.

They also liked what Jameis Winston brought to the table in the three games he played, and how he kept the offense competitive when Dart was sidelined with an injury. 

They certainly need a third-string quarterback in case things go south in the middle of the season, but re-signing Wilson at a higher price tag doesn’t seem like the smart move when they are still cap-strapped, and his value is still too high after a dismal season for him. 

While he is undoubtedly a good guy and a consummate professional who is perfect for a young teammate to model his game after, the Wilson experiment in New York just didn’t work out, and it’s best to part ways and let him see if he can make his final impact in another city.

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