Russell Wilson has strong thoughts about his playing future

Russell Wilson may not be done anytime soon.

Now 36 and preparing for his first full season with the New York Giants, Wilson recently affirmed his belief that he can and wants to continue playing football into his early 40s. 

Speaking to Conor Orr of Sports Illustrated, Wilson expressed confidence in his ability to play for many more years. 

“Five-plus years," Wilson said. “I can still throw the ball 65, 70 yards. I can still move. And I think I’m capable of doing a lot.” 

“It’s funny because to me, being in Denver my first year, I was hurt most of the time and battled through it," Wilson continued. "The second year I felt like myself again. Then going to Pittsburgh, obviously, unfortunately I got injured early in the season, didn’t end up the way we wanted it to. But it just rejuvenated everything. And then being here, it’s like, playing the stadium again, knowing that I’ve held the trophy there.”

Wilson pointed to his ability to move in the pocket and escape when the pocket collapses as a reason why he feels confident about his long-term outlook. That signature ability that became a massive part of his game in Seattle is something Wilson believes he can still do at a high level. While his improvisational highlights are not as common as in past seasons, Wilson believes that by being fully healthy, he will be able to return to his usual form. 

The past few years have not been without their adversity. Wilson’s time in Denver was underwhelming, marked with injuries and inconsistent play. Still, he believes that his second year with the Broncos was more of his usual self. Moving to Pittsburgh seemingly was a good idea on paper, but yet again, it was disrupted by injury. In 11 games with the Steelers, he has 2,482 passing yards, 16 touchdowns, and five interceptions. Far from poor stats, but not the ideal numbers for a veteran starting quarterback. 

Now with the Giants, Wilson will be working within a unique quarterback room. The team has a young first-round QB in Jaxson Dart who is developing beneath Wilson. He will likely be asked to help Dart throughout training camp and preseason. If Wilson is unable to perform at a high enough level, there is a real chance that Brian Daboll starts Dart over Wilson. If that were to happen, Wilson would have to accept a backup role or look for an opportunity elsewhere. 

Whether Wilson reaches his milestone of playing till his early 40s will depend on his health and performance. But as of now, Wilson seems to think his career is far from finished.