The writing was on the wall for Russell Wilson from the moment the New York Giants drafted Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft — this just made it official.
Giants head coach Brian Daboll made the move to bench Wilson and start Dart official on Tuesday, September 23, ahead of their Week 4 game against the Los Angeles Chargers. It seemingly closes the chapter on Wilson’s viability as an NFL starter after an 0-3 start to the season and just 3 years after the Denver Broncos signed him to a 5-year, $242.5 million contract extension.
“The future is now: The Giants are making first-round rookie QB Jaxson Dart their starter,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport wrote on his official X account. ” … After just a short stint starting and an 0-3 record, Russell Wilson heads to the bench. The Giants had a package of plays for Dart. Now, they’ll unleash it all.”
Wilson spent the 2024 season with the Pittsburgh Steelers after being released by the Broncos in March 2024 and signed a 1-year, $10.5 million contract with the Giants on March 27.
In 3 games with the Giants, Wilson has been one of the NFL’s worst quarterbacks — he’s ranked 30th in the NFL with a 34.3 QB rating and has 778 passing yards, 3 touchdowns and 3 interceptions.
Wilson’s Disastrous Run With Broncos
The Broncos‘ disastrous trade for Wilson in 2022 was called the “Worst NFL Trade of the Last 10 Years” by Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox.
The fallout from the trade ended up being nuclear in terms of finances — $85 million in dead cap money spread out over the 2024 and 2025 seasons after Wilson was released.
“The Denver Broncos’ ill-fated 2022 trade for Russell Wilson has largely been overshadowed by the disastrous deal Cleveland made for Deshaun Watson in the same offseason,” Knox wrote. “However, that doesn’t mean that Denver’s deal was a good one. In fact, the Wilson trade might be considered the worst of the last decade if not for the Watson debacle. The Broncos coughed up two first-round picks, two second-round picks, a fifth-round pick, quarterback Drew Lock, defensive lineman Shelby Harris and tight end Noah Fant to acquire Wilson and a fourth-round pick. The Broncos then signed Wilson to an extension worth $242.6 million over five years with $161 million guaranteed.”
Payton, Wilson Butted Heads In One Season Together
The clock was ticking on Wilson in Denver when Nathaniel Hackett was fired after one season as Denver’s head coach in 2022 and replaced with former New Orleans Saints head coach and Super Bowl champion Sean Payton.
Wilson and Payton famously butted heads and Wilson went 11-19 in his 2 seasons with the Broncos.
After missing the first 6 games of the season due to injury — Justin Fields started in his place — Wilson returned to go 6-5 for the Steelers, who made the AFC Playoffs before losing to the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Wild Card Round.
It’s a far cry from Wilson’s time as one of the NFL’s elite quarterbacks in 10 seasons with the Seattle Seahawks from 2012 to 2021, when he led the franchise to its first Super Bowl win following the 2013 season and made 9 Pro Bowls.
Giants Make Massive Decision On Former $242 Million Broncos QB