Big Blue Crew, assessable—Russell Wilson has found his fourth NFL team, reaching an agreement to play for the New York Giants on Tuesday.
Wilson was cut about 12 months ago by the Broncos and was the Steelers’ starting quarterback last season. Pittsburgh won its first four games with Wilson at quarterback but went on a four-game season-ending losing streak to end his time there. Wilson completed 63.7% of his passes for 225.6 yards per contest with 16 touchdowns and five interceptions in his 11 regular-season starts. He completed 20 of 29 passes for 270 yards with two touchdowns and no turnovers during the Steelers’ playoff loss to the Ravens. Wilson was on the cheap though, with the Broncos paying most os his salary since he was still owed from a five-year, $242.5 million deal he signed for in Denver.
Now Wilson will be making up to $21 million on a one-year deal for $10.5 million guaranteed as he takes to the Big Apple.
The Broncos took on the largest dead salary cap in NFL history to cut Wilson last offseason. His one year in Denver in which he and head coach Sean Payton overlapped, was clunky, including a sideline blowup from Payton on Wilson in Detroit. And a wonky ending revolving around an injury guarantee in his deal.
Over his two seasons in Denver, the Broncos went 11-19 when Wilson started for the team. He threw for 42 touchdowns and had 19 picks, getting better at almost everything in his second season with Payton. In 2023 with Payton, he averaged per game 19.8-for-29.8 passing with 204.7 yards, 1.7 touchdowns to 0.5 picks and three sacks for 17.2 yards while getting 22.7 rushing yards on 5.3 carries a game. Going back in time to year one, Denver had one of their most embarrassing seasons in club history as the team went 5-12 and head coach Nathaniel Hackett got fired late in the season. Simply said, in the two years Wilson was in Denver, he wasn’t the guy he was in Seattle who went to nine Pro Bowls, battled in two Super Bowls and was constantly on Offensive Player of the Year ballots.
To get out of the situation, the Broncos took on $53 million of the stunning $85 million dead cap hit this past year, and will still have $32 million on the books in 2025. But that’s the “punishment” Denver faces from the NFL, and Wilson was free to go wherever.
Now the potential future Hall of Famer and Seahawks legend joins Jameis Winston in a rebuilt quarterback room on the East Coast. Those two moves likely spell the end of talk that Shedeur Sanders was a NFL Draft Day target for the G Men.
Wilson took 90 sacks in two years in Denver, which drove Payton crazy in 2023, then 33 sacks with Pittsburgh in only 11 games a season ago. Other quarterback desperate teams like the Browns were into the idea of Wilson, but that leaves them still needing with the second pick in the NFL Draft. Aaron Rodgers may now ride the carousel right back to the Steelers.
All the while the Broncos have their boy—Bo Nix.
Nix and Wilson will face each other in Denver this season, according to the NFL schedule, which has the Giants set for a trip. Last year, Wilson was hurt when the Steelers visited Denver.
ESPN Sources: The Giants and Super Bowl-winning QB Russell Wilson reached agreement today on a one-year deal worth up to $21 million, including $10.5 million guaranteed. The 10-time Pro-Bowl selection had been in discussions with the Giants, Browns and Steelers, but is opting for… pic.twitter.com/ZjjOz0U7bl
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 25, 2025