Jun 18, 2025; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson (3) warms up during minicamp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images John Jones-Imagn Images

ESPN analyst puzzled by what Giants are doing with ex-Seahawks star Russell Wilson

Originally posted on Seattle Seahawks on SI
By Jon Alfano | Last updated Jul 8, 2025 8:00 AM ET

Russell Wilson definitely isn't the same quarterback he was with the Seattle Seahawks, that much is inarguable. What is arguable, however, is how much he truly has left in the tank.

The 36-year-old Wilson, who's now entering his first season with the New York Giants, has shown signs of significant decline over the past few years. Last year with the Pittsburgh Steelers, he completed 63.7 percent of his passes for 2,482 yards, 16 touchdowns and five interceptions in 11 games. He started off playing well, but fell off dramatically during the Steelers' five-game losing streak to end the season (including playoffs).

Now as Wilson joins a Giants team in a deep rebuild, there's some debate on whether he can lead the ship. ESPN's Kevin Clark labeled Wilson as a "bust" ahead of the 2025 campaign.

"I struggle to see the vision here with the New York Giants," Clark said. "I think that they're in job preservation mode with coach and GM. I think they're going to want to go to Jaxson Dart as soon as possible to build a proof of concept and say, 'hey, we deserve these jobs in 2026 because we're building with the young quarterback.' Russell Wilson is not good enough to win eight, nine, 10 games, a type of performance you need to save your job. It's going to be a bust for Russell Wilson. Next stop: the broadcast booth."

The Giants are going to struggle this season, if not due to Wilson then due to the awful supporting cast around him. Once they inevitably fall out of the playoff picture, it wouldn't be a surprise at all to see them turn to Dart.

However, not everyone is out on Wilson. ESPN's David Dennis Jr. immediately refuted Clark, arguing that he'll do everything he was brought in to do.

"I'm going boom based on the expectations we have for Russell Wilson," Dennis said. "The boom here is that Russell Wilson is going to be a leader in that locker room, and he's going to be someone that a young quarterback would want to learn under. So I'm not sure how many games he's going to necessarily win.

"He can be a stabilizing force, he's not going to turn the ball over a ton, he's not going to be a disaster for this team. But in terms of what you brought Russell Wilson on there to do - which is be a locker room leader, which is be someone who can guide the future of your organization - I think it'll be a boom."

This article first appeared on Seattle Seahawks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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