Russell Wilson to the New York Giants almost happened a year ago. Now, it’s reality — and this time Wilson is the team’s projected starting quarterback.
Wilson visited the Giants just over a year ago. At the time, the Giants had starter Daniel Jones and wouldn’t offer Wilson anything more than the backup job. Wilson ended up signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Jones is long gone (released last season) and Wilson, 36, is a year older. But he’s the Giants’ guy now after their search for a veteran option in free agency landed on him and Jameis Winston, the rare veteran free agent double dip. Aaron Rodgers was also among the options but remains a free agent.
The Giants went 3-14 last season and the pressure is on general manager Joe Schoen and coach Brian Daboll to produce better results immediately. So they’re hoping Wilson, with Winston as insurance, can be their stopgap for a potential rookie draft pick, and play well enough early in the season to prove the roster is competitive.
Schoen wasn’t shy at the NFL combine in saying the Giants needed to add a veteran quarterback. They made a serious run at Matthew Stafford but came up empty. The pivot was finding quarterbacks who can, at minimum, serve as a bridge and possibly mentor a quarterback obtained through the draft.
What are the broader implications of the Wilson move? ESPN’s team of NFL reporters weighed in on the most pressing questions for the Giants.
What does this mean for the future of the franchise at the position?
Not much at all! The Wilson and Winston signings don’t prevent the Giants from finding their future franchise quarterback in the draft. They are merely short-term stopgaps at this point. It makes no difference that this is the same Wilson who was once a top-tier QB and Super Bowl winner. He’s not that level of a quarterback anymore with his reduced athleticism and mobility. Winston, meanwhile, hasn’t been a full-time starter in five years. The Giants are still expected to address the quarterback position in the draft, either at pick No. 3, by moving up in the back end of the first round or on Day 2. Let’s not forget, owner John Mara made it abundantly clear the top priority this offseason was to find a quarterback of the future. Wilson and Winston aren’t that. — Jordan Raanan
Where are the Giants in their rebuild?
The pursuit of Stafford and the eventual signing of both Winston and now Wilson is an admission that the Giants are trying to straddle a rebuild and compete in ’25 at the same time. Schoen all but admitted this several weeks back when he said the Giants were going to look for “the best player available that can help us win games in ’25.” Turns out, due to a lack of high-quality options, Wilson was the choice. –– Raanan
What are the draft implications for the Giants?
Signing Wilson alters the Giants’ expectations in 2025, given his history as a playoff-caliber quarterback, but it shouldn’t affect the team’s draft plans next month. Wilson signed a one-year deal for what will be his age 37 season. With the No. 3 overall pick in Round 1, the Giants are still in prime position to draft their quarterback of the future — someone like Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders — and have him as their foundation for the 2026 season. That rookie can then spend the upcoming season learning behind Wilson and Winston. — Matt Miller
How much does Wilson have left in the tank?
That’s a question only Wilson himself can answer. Despite a decline in performance in the Steelers’ five-game losing streak to close the season, Wilson reiterated a desire to play for 5-7 more years. In his year with the Steelers, Wilson was undeniably less mobile, but he didn’t appear to have the physical drop off of other quarterbacks playing into their late 30s. His arm talent is still evident, though his accuracy and decision-making weren’t always consistent. Wilson’s biggest obstacle to continuing his career with quality quarterback play is accepting direction from his coaches and making smart, even if safe, decisions. — Brooke Pryor
Will Wilson accept the role of mentor?
All signs indicate that he would accept that role — and he’s done it before in Denver with Jarrett Stidham when he was benched late in 2023 and with Justin Fields last season as Wilson worked back from the serious calf injury that caused him to miss six games. The bigger question is whether his leadership style and larger-than-life persona would be effective with a younger quarterback. — Pryor
Does this signing improve the Giants’ offense?
I’m not sure how to be enthusiastic about adding Wilson given what we’ve seen from him over the past few seasons. The Giants represent his third new team in the last four years. He joined the Broncos as a big-money trade acquisition and immediately underperformed; he joined the Steelers as a steadying veteran presence to ride an elite defense to the postseason, and barely cleared that bar.
Surely, that’s what the Giants are pursuing now: a reliable, veteran presence in their quarterback room. It would make sense … if they were drafting a young quarterback next month. But with Winston also signed, a rookie would be QB3. It’s not impossible that a team would sign two potential veteran starters and draft a quarterback early — it’s just not usually done.
Given Wilson’s career arc, it’s unlikely that he holds the starting job for a full season over Winston with his quality of play; doubly unlikely if a rookie is waiting in the wings. Wilson is a big name but a small impact on any roster he joins. — Ben Solak
What are you hearing on this signing around the league?
Wilson and Winston on the same sideline will be mandatory viewing on Sundays. While signing a bridge starter and a bridge QB2 with starter’s potential could be seen as unusual — especially when factoring in the team’s No. 3 overall selection in April’s draft — the presence of Wilson and Winston is an upgrade from last year’s depleted quarterback room. “They’ll both give you enough to be functional as an offense,” one AFC executive said.
Giants fans who watched last season will understand the importance of that line. As mentioned above, Wilson’s signing does not preclude them from selecting a passer with the top-three pick, but some around the league do concede there’s a chance this is the Giants showing their hand in how they feel about this quarterback class. “Odd couple,” a separate AFC exec said of the Wilson-Winston signings, “and it would tell you they ain’t taking Sanders.” — Jeremy Fowler
