Giants WR Wan'Dale Robinson says Russell Wilson 'has been great' as a leader

Longtime Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is certainly a divisive figure among NFL fans and pundits, but for the most part, players seem to enjoy working with him.

Now, it seems like he's already winning over his new teammates.

Wilson, 36, signed a one-year deal worth $10.5 million with the New York Giants in late March. Just over two months later, he's quickly emerged as a leader in the locker room. Wide receiver Wan'Dale Robinson, who finished second on the team last season with 699 yards and three touchdowns, recently praised Wilson's leadership throughout the offseason.

Russell Wilson and Coach Brian Daboll as the New York Giants players participate in their 2025 OTAs. | Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"We haven't had a quarterback that's going to command everything, and you know exactly what you want," Robinson said, per ESPN's Jordan Raanan. "[Wilson] has been great."

Wilson is the new leader of a quarterback room that also features Jameis Winston, Tommy DeVito and first-round rookie Jaxson Dart. While he didn't sign with New York specifically to be a mentor, he hopes he can lead by example for his younger teammates.

"I've always viewed it as you're always trying to be the best version of you, and then you're always giving back to everybody else," Wilson said. "I think that it's not just about one teammate, it's about all the teammates. It's about everybody in the building. It's about from all the way to the quarterback room, to the receivers, to the running backs, to the tight ends, to the O-line, and the relationship there, all the way to the defensive line, to the corners, and all the way to the training room. ... So it's like, to me, it's all inclusive, and that's always the approach."

Last season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Wilson completed 63.7 percent of his passes for 2,482 yards, 16 touchdowns and five interceptions in 11 games. Though he may be in the twilight of his career, the 10-time Pro Bowler still believes he has some gas left in the tank.

"I just think about having success today. It's always been my approach," Wilson said. "Every day is like I'm trying to be the best in the world. I think that for me, mentally, you have confidence in yourself. You have confidence in what you do, your process. I constantly stay the course and understand that if I'm the best me, I know how great that is.

"And so, for me, I always just stay within. I don't really think about outside. And I know you guys have a great day job to do and everything else. But for me, I just stay focused on the process of it all."

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