Former Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson is on his fourth team in the last five seasons, and if the 2025 regular season is anything like the preceding preseason, it could be five squads in six campaigns for the 10-time Pro Bowler.
Wilson signed a one-year, $10.5 million contract with the New York Giants this past offseason. He spent 2024 with the Pittsburgh Steelers on a pact worth the veteran’s minimum.
But much like when he was on a five-year, $245 million deal in Denver, things have changed.
The Athletic’s Dan Duggan predicted the Giants would go away from the former Broncos star, Wilson, by Week 5 in an article of “bold” prognostications for teams around the NFL entering the regular season.
Clock Ticking on Former Broncos QB Russell Wilson in New York
GettyRussell Wilson #3 of the New York Giants throws the ball before facing the New York Jets.
The Giants, like the Broncos with Bo Nix in 2024, found their apparent quarterback of the future in the draft, selecting Jaxson Dart with the No. 25 overall pick of the 2025 draft and starting the inevitable countdown for Wilson’s tenure as QB1.
Dart put forth an impressive preseason. Giants head coach Brian Daboll has insisted Wilson is the starter. Still, the push for Dart to take over is only gaining steam.
It could reach a fevered pitch if Wilson struggles early in the regular season.
“Giants brass has told everyone who will listen since the draft that Russell Wilson is the unquestioned starting quarterback and the plan is for first-round pick Jaxson Dart to develop behind the scenes,” Duggan wrote on August 30. “It sounds awfully familiar to 2019 when the plan was for Eli Manning to start with Daniel Jones on the bench … and then Jones took over after an 0-2 start. Manning was a franchise icon with far more equity than Wilson, who is on his fourth team in five years. If the Giants stumble against a killer early schedule, they won’t wait long to replace Wilson with Dart, who looked ready in the preseason.”
Dart Eyes ALWAYS downfield + directing traffic (very Allen-esq) ✅ Mbow had his rusher in PRISON ✅ Evan Neal excellent rep ✅ Gunner showing some vintage burst ✅ Dart’s general pocket awareness ✅
“The Giants may be perpetual rebuilders, but New York faithful at least have a beacon of hope on which to affix their eyes,” CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin wrote on August 25. “Dart has pretty clearly been the most impressive rookie gunslinger of his class, at least according to preseason numbers and eye tests. Is he perfect? No. Is he sharp and gifted? It appears so. Whether it was the perfectly placed bomb in his debut or the 13 straight completions to end his finale, he’s primed to push the slowing Russell Wilson for starting reps sooner rather than later.”
The Broncos moved on from Wilson, incurring a historic dead cap hit for their troubles, before knowing they would even land Nix, let alone that he would show such promise as their franchise quarterback so soon. The Giants could reach the same conclusion in a much smoother process.
Former GM Urges Giants to Cut Russell Wilson
GettyRussell Wilson #3 of the New York Giants in action during training camp.
The difference between Wilson’s tenure with the Broncos and Giants could also include just how it ends. The Broncos did not hesitate to take the $85 million charge for cutting Wilson, according to head coach Sean Payton. They spread it out over two seasons, including 2025.
Former NFL executive Mike Tannenbaum, now an analyst for ESPN, urged the Giants to cut Wilson. He said they should open the season with Dart as their QB1.
That would be a bold decision and an indication of how much they believe Wilson has left.
New York has already paid Wilson $10 million in guarantees. They could view him as a sunk cost and move on during the season with minimal further financial damage. Or, they can simply let him play out the season, even if on the bench, and walk away in 2026.
At any rate, Wilson’s trajectory as an NFL starter took a notable turn during his Broncos tenure. It may have even happened before, when the Seattle Seahawks decided to move on.
So far, the Broncos and, apparently, the Giants can be confident in life after Wilson.
Teammate Puts Former Broncos QB Russell Wilson On Early Notice