Could Giants move on from Russell Wilson during 2025 NFL season?

Some assumed shortly after details of the one-year contract Russell Wilson received from the New York Giants went public that the Giants structured that deal in a way that would make it relatively easy for the club to bench Wilson in favor of an unknown rookie later this fall. 

For a piece published on Monday, Giants insider Dan Duggan of The Athletic addressed how the club could handle Wilson during what could go down as his lone season with the organization.

"If things don’t go well," Duggan said about the Giants' 2025 campaign, "Wilson’s $2M base salary will make him eminently tradable. It’s not a stretch to imagine a scenario where the Giants are 2-7 again at the trade deadline, with the team wanting to give a young quarterback an extended trial. The Giants and Wilson would both benefit from a separation at that point, and with Wilson only carrying a $1M salary for the second half of the season, he could be attractive to a contending team with an injured starter or in need of a better backup."

While Wilson is coming off a five-game losing streak that resulted in the end of his Pittsburgh Steelers tenure, he did help what was a 4-2 team improve to 10-3 before he and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith reportedly had some sort of falling out. 

Those running the Giants believe a combination of Wilson and journeyman Jameis Winston can keep the club competitive through at least December. However, it's worth noting that a club that went 3-14 this past season probably isn't average quarterback play away from being more than a last-place team in a loaded NFC East division that includes the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles and a Washington Commanders side that lost to Philadelphia in the conference title game. 

As of Monday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed Penn State pass-rusher Abdul Carter as the betting favorite at -125 odds to be selected by the Giants with the third pick of the upcoming draft. New York theoretically could grab Carter and then trade back into the first round to land Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, but the Giants could also take a flier on a project signal-caller such as Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart or Alabama's Jalen Milroe later in the draft. 

Even if the Giants want to sit a rookie quarterback for the entire 2025 season, they could have Winston serve as a temporary starter if Wilson is deemed surplus to requirements before the trade deadline arrives.