Giants' Russell Wilson sends message to critics who 'try to tear you down'

Roughly one year after the Denver Broncos ate the largest dead cap hit in NFL history to part ways with Russell Wilson, the Pittsburgh Steelers officially let the veteran quarterback reach free agency this past March.

Now the New York Giants' starter, Wilson sent somewhat of a message to those who are doubting his ability to still win games at the highest level during a recent chat with Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. 

"A big part of it is my love for the game has never changed," Wilson said about his mindset heading into the Giants' Week 1 game at the Washington Commanders. "I still know who I am, even when people try to talk about you and try to tear you down. My first year in Denver, I played hurt, tore my lat pretty bad. Second year, I felt like I played well, and a big part of it was I still threw 26 touchdowns, and I felt like it was one of those situations where, 'OK, if God’s got something different, then let’s go.' …Pittsburgh was great, I loved it there, loved my teammates, the guys you played with. And being here, I’m just focused on now. I love the city, I love where I’m at. I’m grateful for this team."

The Broncos acquired Wilson from the Seattle Seahawks in March 2022, but Denver then fired head coach Nathaniel Hackett in December of that year after Hackett was in charge for just 15 games. That decision essentially proved to be the beginning of the end of Wilson's time with the Broncos, and he then missed the first six contests of last season with the Steelers while dealing with a lingering calf injury. 

Wilson eventually won six of his first seven starts with Pittsburgh before he and the club endured a five-game losing streak that lasted through the wild-card round of the playoffs. According to Pro Football Reference, he finished the 2024 regular season ranked 24th in the league among qualified players with a 51.3 adjusted QBR. 

Nevertheless, Wilson was never asked to compete with rookie Jaxson Dart and backup Jameis Winston for the Giants' QB1 gig ahead of September. That said, many assume Dart will replace the 36-year-old as Big Blue's starter at some point before Thanksgiving Day arrives. 

For now, Wilson is a Giants captain who has embraced his role as a mentor for younger teammates such as second-year wide receiver Malik Nabers. 

"He’s super passionate about the game," Wilson said about Nabers while speaking with Breer. "We got our lockers right next to each other, we spend a lot of time there, we spend a lot of time off the field. He comes over [my place] pretty much every night. We get extra time together, he gets extra work."

It remains to be seen if such extra work will help keep Wilson in the New York starting lineup for the club's Week 2 game at the Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 14. As of Wednesday morning, ESPN Bet had the Commanders as 6.5-point favorites for this coming Sunday's matchup at Washington's Northwest Stadium.