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With Jaxson Dart taking over at QB1 for the NY Giants, here's why the Giants should look to trade former starter Russell Wilson. Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Why NY Giants Should Consider Trading QB Russell Wilson

Originally posted on New York Giants on SI
By Robbie Lastella | Last updated Oct 1, 2025 11:00 PM ET

New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart led the Giants to a win in his first start of the season after head coach Brian Daboll declared Dart would, for better or worse, be the team’s starter the rest of the year.

With that being the case, current backup Russell Wilson, who is under contract for this year, is someone who could be of value to a quarterback-needy team, such as the Cincinnati Bengals, whose starting quarterback, Joe Burrow, is expected to be sidelined at least until early December due to a toe issue.

Although backup quarterback Jake Browning was able to lead the Bengals to a win in relief in Week 2, the last two weeks have been a different story. With Browning starting under center, the Bengals have struggled to generate offense, losing their last two games by a combined score of 76-13.

Wilson could prove to be an upgrade. In three starts with the Giants, he completed 59.5% of his attempts for 786 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions, though losing all three games.

At times, Wilson struggled with consistency; however, he also demonstrated that he remains serviceable, most notably with a 450-yard, three-touchdown performance in a Week 2 overtime loss against the Cowboys.

Now sitting at 2-2 and watching their hot start to the season going by the wayside, it would be surprising if the Bengals were planning to move forward with their quarterback picture as is.

Why trading Wilson to the Bengals is the right move

Ultimately, the trade could benefit both sides, as the Bengals would get a veteran who, although he was unable to help the Giants, could find short-term success in Cincinnati with their assortment of playmakers on offense.

Wilson is stuck in limbo with the Giants, as with Dart giving the offense a spark, there isn’t much of an active role left for Wilson, who previously ran the scout team. However, the Giants still view him as a mentor for Dart despite the demotion.

If the Giants trade Wilson, they would save $117,647 for every week he’s not on the roster, which, while not a lot when added up, would be of help to the cap-strapped Giants.

Although Dart has raved about Wilson as a mentor, the Giants have another veteran quarterback on the roster in Jameis Winston, whom they signed to a two-year deal, presumably to serve as the backup to Dart in 2026.

If the Giants were to trade Wilson, what might he bring in return? A Day 1 or Day 2 draft pick is highly unlikely, as is a high Day 3 pick. At best, perhaps the Giants could get a seventh-round pick, which would give them another bargaining chip should they want to move around in next year’s draft.

Would general manager Joe Schoen make the move? Schoen, in the past, has been reluctant to trade his own players and has tended to overprice their value.

But in this instance, the allure of saving cap space that could otherwise go toward standard practice squad elevation, plus landing a draft pick, might just be too good to pass up if the Bengals are willing to talk.

This article first appeared on New York Giants on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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