Robert Griffin III Defends Russell Wilson After Benching by Giants

The "disrespect" that New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson has received isn’t right, according to former NFL QB Robert Griffin III.

Following a 0-3 start to the regular season, the Giants opted to bench Wilson in favor of rookie first-round pick Jaxson Dart, putting Wilson into a backup role for the second time in three seasons.

This season, Wilson has completed 59.1 percent of his passes for 778 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions; however, in two out of three starts, he has failed to record a touchdown pass or throw for over 200 yards.

While the Giants' struggles are not entirely on Wilson, his removal from the starting lineup made headlines this week, and Griffin, taking to X (formerly known as Twitter), opined that the Giants are "doing Russell Wilson so dirty."

They doing Russell Wilson so dirty.
I never hear former teammates attack Eli Manning and his record or how he performed outside of the 2 Super Runs they had. They show him the respect he has earned and appreciate him for helping them win at the highest level. That ain’t right.
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) September 26, 2025

"I never hear former teammates attack Eli Manning and his record or how he performed outside of the 2 Super Runs they had," he said.

"They show him the respect he has earned and appreciate him for helping them win at the highest level. That ain’t right."

What does Eli Manning have to do with Griffin's point?

Why Griffin decided to bring Eli Manning into the equation is a mystery. For starters, Manning was with the team for 16 years, whereas Wilson has only been with the team for less than a year.

Second, there is no known statement — on or off the record — by any of the current Giants players attacking Wilson. So, unless Griffin got that from Wilson, who might have overheard something in the locker room, drawing that comparison is a stretch.

Perhaps Griffin believes that Wilson was pulled from the lineup too soon, or that maybe even Wilson shouldn't have been singled out.

But it's important to note that the Giants didn't plan things this way. General manager Joe Schoen repeatedly stated that the plan was to have Dart take as much of a redshirt year as possible, and that there was hope that Wilson, who is only signed to a one-year contract, and the team would perform well enough for that to happen.

That has not been the case, and with the Giants desperate for a win, head coach Brian Daboll has decided to roll the dice and gamble on the quarterback he has handpicked and actively developed behind the scenes as a way to salvage a season that has begun spiraling out of control.

Wilson, in the meantime, has been the ultimate professional, willing to support the team and Dart in any way he can.

“I'm focused on helping this team win. I'm focused on helping Jaxson," Wilson said earlier this week.

"I'm focused on getting ready to be the best version of me today. I want to be here. I'm not giving up on us in this season."

The organization's brass undoubtedly appreciates Wilson's professionalism, which serves as a good reminder of one of his top qualities that convinced the team's brass to bring him on board, even if it was just for a short-term role.

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What does Eli Manning have to do with Griffin's point?

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