Giants make big move, bring in former Seahawks quarterback in free agency

After much speculation, longtime Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is signing a one-year deal with the New York Giants, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports.

Schefter adds that the deal is worth $10.5 million fully guaranteed, but Wilson can earn up to $21 million with incentives. That's a significant raise from the one-year, veteran minimum deal he signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers last offseason, but in that case, he benefitted from the Denver Broncos paying him an astronomical amount following his release.

After a blockbuster trade from Seattle in 2022, Wilson, 36, now heads to his third team in the past four seasons. He flamed out in Denver after a feud with head coach Sean Payton in 2023, and despite some early success in Pittsburgh, his late-season decline prompted the Steelers to move on from him as well.

Wilson does have some connection to New York, however. MetLife Stadium, home of both the Giants and the New York Jets, was where he won Super Bowl XLVIII back in 2013. Though the Seahawks' dominant defense was the story of that game, Wilson had a solid showing as he completed 18 of 25 passes for 206 yards and two touchdowns.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson celebrates with the Vince Lombardi Trophy — Feb 2, 2014; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) celebrates with the Lombardi Trophy after beating the Denver Broncos 43-8 in Super Bowl XLVIII at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Wilson heads to the Big Apple as the Giants' likely starter, but he may have some competition. New York recently signed veteran quarterback Jameis Winston to a two-year, $8 million deal recently, so while Wilson likely has the edge, it's not a 100 percent guarantee that he starts.

At the very least, signing both Wilson and Winston likely means the Giants won't draft a quarterback at No. 3 overall in the upcoming NFL Draft, or trading up to select one as many previously speculated.

While he's definitely not the player he was in Seattle, Wilson is still a serviceable quarterback who could help New York, which has made the playoffs just twice in the past 13 seasons, establish some sort of culture.

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