Russell Wilson Knew He'd Become a Giant, Claims Report

The New York Giants and quarterback Russell Wilson flirted with the possibility of the 10-time Pro Bowler joining the team last offseason, only to have that go astray.

So when Wilson and the Giants revisited that possibility again this year, Wilson, according to a new report, was far more confident of his chances of landing in the Big Apple with Big Blue.

So claims ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, who revealed that Wilson attended Super Bowl LIX and left feeling destined for the Giants.

"Quarterback Russell Wilson foresaw a New York Giants signing well before his eventual signing last week,” Fowler said.

“Sources said that Wilson, who attended Super Bowl LIX, came out of that week thinking his chances to become a Giant were high. Perhaps he anticipated the dominoes falling like they did, with Pittsburgh targeting Justin Fields and Aaron Rodgers and the Giants being a runner-up for Stafford and Rodgers. But he's apparently seen blue for a while now."

Quarterback Russell Wilson got the Steelers to the postseason in 2024. | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Wilson and the Giants had an exploratory meeting last offseason. Because the Giants insisted on returning the starting job to Daniel Jones, who was coming off an ACL injury, Wilson left East Rutherford without a contract and signed a one-year, $1.2 million deal with the Steelers.

The Giants went on to post a 2-8 record with Jones as the starter, and the quarterback was eventually benched so the team could avoid risking any injury that would have triggered a $23 million injury guarantee on his contract this offseason.

Jones, demoted to third string and was denied permission to participate in any team activity where he might have been at risk for injury, was released five days later at his request. Once he was released, the Giants’ franchise quarterback situation was really cast into a dark place.

New York tried to acquire Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford via a trade this offseason, but that didn’t pan out. The Giants were then linked to Aaron Rodgers and Wilson, who last season threw for 2,482 yards, 16 touchdowns, and five interceptions while completing 63.7% of his throws with Pittsburgh and notched a 6-5 record under center once he returned from a calf injury.

Wilson signed with the Giants just days after they signed former Browns quarterback Jameis Winston to a two-year, $8 million deal. The Giants also met with Joe Flacco while negotiations with Wilson were ongoing.

The Giants could still be planning to draft a quarterback, though the pickings for franchise-type quarterbacks in this class appear slim compared to last year’s quarterback-rich class.

Wilson, who signed a one-year, $10.5 million deal that can reach up to $21 million with incentives, will take first-team reps this spring, general manager Joe Schoen recently revealed. He will also presumably be the starter for the team if healthy.

The Giants also have Tommy DeVito on their roster after re-signing him to an Exclusive Rights tender earlier this spring.

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