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The New York Giants promised to "look under every rock" to find a new quarterback this offseason. Now, after plenty of looking, they've finally found another one, on Tuesday agreeing to sign Russell Wilson to a one-year deal, per CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones. The contract is worth $10.5 million guaranteed and up to $21 million, per ESPN.
Wilson, 36, was reportedly on the Giants' radar as early as last offseason, before the former Super Bowl champion signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Fresh off an uneven 2024 campaign with the Steelers, in which he went 6-6 as a starter, including playoffs, Wilson gives New York another experienced veteran in a quarterback room that also includes former No. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston, who signed a two-year deal with New York last week. Wilson heads to the Big Apple as the starter, per NFL Media.
Wilson faded down the stretch of the 2024 season in Pittsburgh, losing his final five starts and averaging under 200 passing yards per game. Perhaps that's why the Giants opted to sign both Wilson and Winston this offseason.
| Russell Wilson last season | First 7 starts | Last 5 starts |
|---|---|---|
W-L | 6-1 | 0-5 |
Completion percentage | 64.8% | 63.2% |
Passing yards per game | 254.9 | 193.6 |
Pass yards/attempt | 8.4 | 6.4 |
Total TD-TO ratio | 13-5 | 7-4 |
Passer rating | 103.9 | 88.9 |
Prior to signing Wilson, the quarterback-starved Giants had also been linked to Aaron Rodgers, who was released by the New York Jets; and Matthew Stafford, who got a pay raise from the Los Angeles Rams ahead of free agency. Some reports also connected them to Sam Darnold, who ended up leaving the Minnesota Vikings for a $100 million deal with the Seattle Seahawks.
Wilson is now on his third team in as many seasons after failing to secure a new deal with the Steelers. Once considered one of the NFL's top dual threats as a perennial contender with the Seattle Seahawks, he's posted serviceable, if unspectacular, numbers since relocating to the Denver Broncos via trade in 2022. He initially helped expand the Steelers' downfield passing attack upon replacing fill-in Justin Fields halfway through the 2024 campaign, but struggled to sustain the offensive output down the stretch. The 10-time Pro Bowler's 350 career passing touchdowns rank as the 12th-most in NFL history.
New York has also shown interest in Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders, the consensus top two quarterback prospects in the 2025 draft, with ESPN previously reporting the Giants have eyed a potential move up to the No. 1 pick. General manager Joe Schoen didn't rule out using both free agency and the draft to fill out the position during this year's NFL Scouting Combine, calling quarterback moves the club's top priority.
The Giants added two outside signal-callers in free agency, and it remains to be seen if they add another in the draft.
