The Giants have another new quarterback.
On Tuesday, ESPN reported that veteran Russell Wilson to a one-year contract worth up to $21 million (with $10.5 million guaranteed). This comes mere days after the team signed Jameis Winston as the backup.
Wilson, 36, completed 63.7% of his throws for 2,482 yards and 16 touchdowns in 11 starts for the Steelers last season.
While he wasn’t their first choice — that was Matthew Stafford and Aaron Rodgers — the Giants are hopeful that the Super Bowl XLVIII can help surge them to at least respectable levels in 2025.
This signing could mean that the Giants might take Abdul Carter or Travis Hunter with the No. 3 pick instead of a QB — which would be the best possible outcome.
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General manager Joe Schoen’sinterest in Wilson goes back to at least last spring, when he flew the ex-Broncos QB in for what ESPN called an “exploratory meeting.” Schoen reportedly made Wilson no promises about playing time since he was still convinced that then-injured QB Daniel Jones could lead his team.
Boy, was he wrong.
The Giants went 2-8 under Jones — which included a Week 8 loss to the Steelers in Wilson’s season debut — and won just one game after cutting him. Wilson, meanwhile, showed he could still sling it deep with the Steelers, leading them to a 10-7 record and a playoff appearance.
Schoen hopes Wilson will lead the Giants to at least respectable levels in 2025. His and coach Brian Daboll’s jobs might depend on it.
Schoen and Daboll are square on the hot seat after posting three fewer wins in each of their first three seasons. The Wilson-Malik Nabers pairing could be fun, but will it be enough to satisfy co-owner John Mara, who said he’s “just about run out of patience” amid this rebuild? Mara expects the Giants to, at the very least, play in “meaningful games” in December. This won’t be easy given they face the toughest schedule in the NFL next season.
Unless Wilson somehow finds his mid-2010s form — when he was tossing over 4,000 yards and 30-plus touchdowns per season — the Giants will likely be in the same spot this time next year: At the top of the draft with nothing but blind hope entering free agency.
The only difference is they’ll probably have a new GM and coach leading them.
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Ryan Novozinsky may be reached at rnovozinsky@njadvancemedia.com. You can follow him on X@ryannovoNFL