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Russell Wilson, quarterback with the NY Giants, runs drills during OTA practice at Quest Diagnostics Training Center, East Rutherford, NJ, May 28, 2025. Anne-Marie Caruso/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Giants Taking to Their New Leader on Offense

Originally posted on New York Giants on SI
By Patricia Traina | Last updated May 30, 2025 10:00 AM ET

Russell Wilson might be among the new kids in the New York Giants locker room, but his resume and the way he’s carried himself since signing with the team in March has certainly made quite the impression on his teammates.

“I can't say enough about Russ,” said inside linebacker Bobby Okereke. “I think Russ is one of seven quarterbacks to win a Super Bowl and have 10 pro bowls, so there's a certain aura he's got about him.”

Safety Jevon Holland, who faced Wilson in 2023 when the quarterback was with Denver and Holland with Miami, also has taken notice of what Wilson has brought to the Giants’ locker room.

“I mean, he's comfortable back there. He's been through the motions,” Holland said. “You can tell that this is something that he's done multiple times in multiple systems against multiple defenses.

“So yeah, he just remains calm, and he's just going through his process. This is just a part of what he does. So it's just a level of poise that you can understand.”

The Giants are counting on Wilson’s 13 years of experience, which had included ten Pro Bowl berths (including last season) and a Super Bowl championship when he was with Seattle, to provide a spark for the team’s offense that, other than for Wilson remains pretty much the same personnel-wise as last year.

At the same time, the Giants are also counting on Wilson to set a stellar example for Jaxson Dart, their young rookie quarterback, who they hope will be ready to assume the reins of the offense by next season.

Dart, who is also learning from the examples set by backup quarterbacks Jameis Winston and Tommy DeVito, spoke glowingly at the rookie minicamp earlier this month about how helpful Wilson has been.

Guard Greg Van Rote, who is among the projected starting five offensive linemen who will be tasked with protecting Wilson from opposing quarterback hunters, praised the quarterback’s attention to detail.

“It's like, we'll watch a clip, he'll go back like, ‘Hey, look at this over here, make sure we watch this.’ Like no stone goes unturned with him, and that's very important,” Van Roten said.

Van Roten said he’s also been impressed with Wilson’s sense of urgency, given where things are in the football calendar.

“I think a lot of guys this time of year are like, all right, it's OTAs, it's May, but that's not his mindset, and that's going to trickle down to our offense, and that's important with him,” he said.

Okereke, who played against Wilson not just last season when the quarterback was with the Steelers but also when Okereke was with the Colts, said it means a lot that Wilson isn’t so wrapped up in what he has to do that he stays within himself.

“I mean, you never get to know the man; you obviously play against him, but just the leader he is, how personable he is with everybody in the locker room, and just his mentality,” Okereke said.

“He's dapping up guys that he's not even in position groups with, and so you see the emphasis he puts on leadership and team building.”

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