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Quarterback Russell Wilson (3) warms up before the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Acrisure Stadium. Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

New contract details suggest what Giants expect from Russell Wilson

By Conor Killmurray | Last updated Mar 28, 2025 5:18 PM ET

Russell Wilson's contract with the New York Giants is worth up to $21 million, but only half is guaranteed. According to NFL insider Albert Breer, Wilson can earn the other $10.5 million based on his production in the upcoming season.

In a breakdown of the incentives in the one-year deal, Breer explained that Wilson's potential earnings are based on specific benchmarks like play-time, performance, wins, and making the playoffs. For example, if Wilson plays at least 65% of the snaps in the regular season, he'll get $500,000. If he plays 75%, that's another million, but if he's on the field for 85% of the snaps, he'll make an additional $1.5 million.

Wilson can earn up to $2.5 million for just being healthy most of the season, but he missed six games last year. In 11 starts, he threw for 2,482 yards and 16 touchdown passes with a completion percentage of 63.7%. He ended the season with a 95.6% passer rating, and he'll need to hit that number again, as all his performance incentives are tied to having a passer rating above 88%.

The lowest performance benchmarks in his contract with the Giants include throwing for 2,500 yards and 20 touchdown passes with a 64% completion rating to earn $500,000, respectively.

As The Atheltic's Dan Duggan pointed out, the Giants set these performance incentives for Wilson above his 2024 stats, classifying them as incentives not likely to be earned.

Giants strategically made the thresholds just above what Wilson produced last season so that they will be classified as Not Likely To Be Earned and not count on the cap. His cap hit should only be around $11.5M https://t.co/jvk8QBGz0F
— Dan Duggan (@DDuggan21) March 28, 2025

Per the NFL's explanation of contract language, incentives not likely to be earned do not count against the current year's salary cap, meaning the Giants won't have to factor in Wilson's entire contract against their cap if he hits every benchmark.

Navigating the NFL salary cap is a complicated process, but this contract structure provides a peek into the team's thinking on Wilson as a starter. He is not their preferred option at quarterback, but he won't break the bank either.

If Wilson meets all his incentives, the Giants will probably be playing winning football, something head coach Brian Daboll is desperate for after a 3-14 season put him and general manager Joe Schoen on the hot seat. So they'll be happy to pay him.

Most importantly, though, it won't stop the team from drafting a rookie signal-caller in April, but they won't be shopping hungry either.

The Giants have the third pick in the draft and are not guaranteed a shot at selecting one of the top two QBs in this year's draft class, as the QB-needy Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns pick ahead of them. With Wilson, Daboll can feel comfortable having a competent leader for the 2025 season if they're forced to go with the best player available.

Does it inspire much confidence among fans for 2025? Not by much.

This contract suggests the team isn't sure a fully healthy Wilson will significantly outperform his 2024 production. Even so, the Steelers went 10-7 and made the playoffs last season with Wilson at the helm. Moreover, this contract won't stop the front office from drafting a quarterback prospect Daboll can develop into a long-term solution under center.

However, finding a starting quarterback is perhaps the hardest decision in sports, and the Giants had to take a swing after the disastrous Daniel Jones contract. Whether they made the right call to ride with Wilson for one season remains to be seen.

Conor Killmurray

Conor Killmurray is a long-suffering fan of New York sports, particularly the Giants and Mets—a potent combination for heartbreak, if you ask him. He graduated from West Chester University with a degree in English and enjoys searching for the most interesting sports stories to write about.

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