NY Giants QB Russell Wilson Explains Source of His Unlimited Confidence

When it comes to confidence and positivity, New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson, aka “Mr. Unlimited,” is, well, unlimited.

Whether it’s handing out “atta boys” to his teammates, something he does quite often, or encouraging them to forget about a play when it goes astray, Wilson has become renowned for his endless positivity and encouragement, no matter what’s happening around him.

But what about those times when he needs a pick-me-up?

“I think that's a great question,” Wilson said after the Giants completed their first training camp practice of the summer. “I don't know, maybe I'm the Energizer Bunny a lot of the time, but I think I'm always constantly working on me.

“We're all growing, we're all learning, we're all developing. We all have highs and lows. I've had a lot of highs and the lows are just lessons along the way, not losses. They're just lessons. And I think a lot of times you can really grow and just know that you're battle-tested.”

Wilson is indeed battle-tested and has taken his share of lumps, particularly in recent years. The Seahawks drafted him in the third round back in 2012. Wilson went on to shatter the notion that a franchise quarterback needs to be a first-round pick.

In 10 seasons for Seattle, Wilson threw for over 37,000 yards, recording 292 touchdowns to just 87 interceptions. He made nine of his career 10 Pro Bowls, won a Super Bowl, and was consistently in the running for Offensive Player of the Year honors in four of his seasons there.

Then the wheels sort of came off for the soon-to-be 37-year-old. He was traded to Denver after the 2021 season. He was given a massive five-year contract extension worth $245 million, which also included $165 million guaranteed — all of this before he even took a snap for the Broncos.

But the Wilson that people saw during his time in Seattle seemed to be no more, as in two seasons with the Broncos, he went 11-19 as a starter, completing 63% of his pass attempts for 6,594 yards, 42 touchdowns and 19 interceptions, before head coach Sean Payton, hired in 2023, decided that he didn’t want to hitch his wagon or that of the team’s to Wilson.

Wilson was released after the 2023 season, and after a brief flirtation with the Giants, who refused to promise an open competition between Wilson and incumbent Daniel Jones, he signed with the Steelers for a season. During that time, he made his 10th Pro Bowl and was in the running for Comeback Player of the Year.

However, Wilson and the Steelers failed to advance in the playoffs, with some blaming him for their failure. As a result, after last season ended, the Steelers reportedly made little effort to re-sign Wilson.

Now he’s with the Giants, where he’s being counted on to lead an offense that, with few exceptions, over the last two seasons, has lacked a pulse. And he’s embracing the challenge.

“If anybody's battle-tested, I am. I can handle anything,” Wilson said. “I think the best part about it, too, is that as a leader, you want everybody to know what they're getting every day. And I think that's what I want to be able to establish every day.”

The confidence comes from within

New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson (3) looks to high five his teammate during day one of the New York Giants training camp at Quest Diagnostics Giants Training Center in East Rutherford on Wednesday, July 23, 2025. | Julian Leshay Guadalupe/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Wilson’s confident nature didn’t happen overnight. He attributed that to his parents and the highs and lows he experienced growing up, which included not having hot water or any water at all.

But the lesson Wilson learned from his parents, which fuels him to this very day, is that hard work and determination can help a person overcome almost anything.

“I saw my parents' work, the sacrifice they gave. I get to do the best thing in the world: play quarterback for the New York Giants and play in the National Football League for 14 years,” he said.

“For me, I have no other choice but to be confident because of what I've been through and what I've gone through and where I've been and all the success, too.”

And when success eludes him, he takes a pragmatic approach.

“Part of success is not the moments, the singular moments; it's a collection of moments that you add up when you add those collections of moments through practice and through your habits daily on and off the field,” he said.

“I think that gives you a great chance to give you your confidence and give you success more times than not.”

And then there is one of the most important aspects of it all: adjusting to what life throws at you.

“I think the third part to it is the ability to go through adversity,” he said. “I think that's one of the things that you have to be able to do as a guy, a leader, as a player, is be able to consistently adjust and consistently grow.”

Add it all up and you have Russell Wilson, Mr. Unlimited, Mr. Optimistic, or whatever you want to call him.

For Wilson, he just wants to continue growing not just as a quarterback but also as a person, and to do that, he keeps his head down and grinds every day, doing the little things that often go unnoticed or that some players take shortcuts on.

“I think my mental aptitude is very strong, but it doesn't mean I'm done with it,” he said. “You have to keep growing, just like anything. You keep working on it.

“And then ultimately you have to have faith in what God's giving you. And so those things are how I build my confidence, how I keep it there. And then you keep growing and you keep building off of it.”

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The confidence comes from within

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