Giants Sign Russell Wilson

Of course, the natural pivot is to whether or not New York will draft a quarterback into an increasingly crowded room. At No. 3, that option is firmly open to general manager Joe Schoen, presumably in the form of Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders.

With two starting-caliber quarterbacks on the roster, the Giants could instead turn to Colorado corner/receiver Travis Hunter or Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter, the top non-quarterbacks in the class.

Signing Wilson is an indictment of the team’s confidence in Winston and Schoen’s hot seat. New York can not afford to ride out the season with Winston’s unsteady hand and a rookie quarterback. Wilson is a step toward competence and theoretically raises the floor of the 2025 Giants.

In 2024, Wilson took over for the Pittsburgh Steelers after a 4-2 start and promptly won six of his first seven starts. The second half of his season was far less fruitful and ultimately ended his chances of returning to Western Pennsylvania as a starter.

Across 11 games with the Steelers, Wilson went 6-5 while throwing for 2,482 yards, 16 touchdowns, and five interceptions. It was enough to help Pittsburgh into the playoffs, but neither he nor his teammates played well in the Wild Card Round, culminating in a 28-14 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

Signing Wilson at this point in the offseason also shows a sense of urgency on Schoen’s part. The Giants were not content with merely getting a deal done when the price was right. Not when Aaron Rodgers is still deciding on his landing spot and Wilson had other suitors, like the Cleveland Browns. Getting left without a true veteran starter was not an option.

With adequate talent around him, improved offensive line depth, and the potential for legitimate draft capital to be spent on an upgrade, rather than a long-term replacement at quarterback, Wilson is positioned to have success in what could very well be his final chance at starting in the NFL.