The New York Giants seem to have their quarterback room set for 2026, featuring Jaxson Dart as the starter and Jameis Winston as his mentor and veteran backup.
The Russell Wilson signing made sense last offseason, but his poor play early in the season and the emergence of Dart made him expendable, and he’s unlikely to be back with the Giants next season.
That doesn’t mean Wilson’s NFL career is over, though, and he told ESPN’s Jordan Raanan as much at season’s end.
“Yeah, I’m not blinking. I know what I’m capable of. I think I showed that in Dallas. I want to do that again and just be ready to rock and roll and be as healthy as possible and be able to play ball,” Wilson told Raanan.
The 37-year-old former Pro Bowl quarterback should have options available to him this offseason, whether that’s as a backup or stopgap starter.
Russell Wilson’s Worst Possible Landing Spot
According to Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox, the worst situation the former New York Giant could find himself in this offseason would be with the Cleveland Browns.
The Browns already have the most expensive quarterback room in the NFL in 2026, mostly thanks to Deshaun Watson’s bloated contract.
But adding Wilson to the roster would just mean taking away reps from all the other quarterbacks Cleveland has and desperately needs.
“Wilson visited Cleveland last offseason before agreeing to join the Giants. However, that was before the Browns drafted both Gabriel and Sanders in the 2025 draft. Wilson would have little to gain by joining a QB competition that involves those two and Watson,” wrote Knox.
“At best, Wilson would be a short-term starter on a bad team in Cleveland, which certainly wouldn’t help his end-of-career resume. At worst, he’d be a camp arm who fails to make one of the worst offensive rosters in the NFL.”
Wilson’s time as an NFL starter is likely at an end, and he would be better suited as a backup who’s capable of spot starting if need be.
If he were to end up in Cleveland, it likely wouldn’t end well for either party.
Russell Wilson Urged to Sign With Chiefs
While Knox believes Wilson would be a disaster in Cleveland, he thinks the former New York Giants quarterback would be better off signing with the Kansas City Chiefs as the backup to Patrick Mahomes.
“Wilson is unlikely to find a true starting opportunity this offseason, but he could make sense as a bridge option for the Kansas City Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes is recovering from a torn ACL, and neither Gardner Minshew nor Chris Oladokun is under contract for 2026,” continued Knox.
“Joining Kansas City might allow Wilson to start a few more games, perhaps be part of a Chiefs resurgence, and calmly shift into the backup phase of his career.”
With Mahomes recovering from his knee injury suffered late in the 2025 season, the Chiefs may need a veteran quarterback to hold down the fort while their perennial MVP candidate rehabs.
With so many years of starting experience under his belt, Kansas City would be hard-pressed to find a better veteran option who may also be willing to acquiesce the starting spot once Mahomes is healthy.
One thing is for sure: Wilson will be in the NFL next season. He’s proven to still have a little bit of juice left in the tank.
The question remains where exactly he will end up.
Russell Wilson Given Best & Worst Landing Spots After Giants Tenure