Giants Free Agent Option Russell Wilson Explains What Drew Him to Steelers

Getty Quarterback Russell Wilson shed some light on his decision to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024 free agency.

With a 2-8 record and poor quarterback play out of Daniel Jones, many around the New York Giants community have questioned why Big Blue general manager Joe Schoen allowed veteran quarterback Russell Wilson to leave the building when he visited NYG last March.

Should the Giants have offered Wilson more money? Or a guaranteed starting job? Perhaps, but if you listen to Wilson discuss his decision during an ESPN interview with Hannah Storm, it becomes very apparent that Schoen could not offer what Wilson was looking for — and that, in itself, is a major problem.

“When I got released, I was like — Okay, here we go, this is going to be interesting,” Wilson began, explaining what drew him to the Steelers in free agency.

“Several teams started calling and everything else, and then all of a sudden, my first call was with [Steelers head coach] Mike Tomlin and [general manager] Omar [Khan]… and I got to talk to those guys for a while,” the veteran QB went on. “I think Coach Tomlin and I; we have the same vision of ball, you know? The love for the game and the passion behind it — the obsession with it.”

From there, Wilson told Storm about a “two-hour FaceTime” with long-time Steelers defensive lineman Cameron Heyward, followed by chats with fellow Pittsburgh stars T.J. Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick.

According to Wilson, all of these conversations furthered his desire to experience “the life of a Pittsburgh Steeler” and the winning culture that comes with that.

Although Wilson never mentioned the Giants by name — or his team visit with Big Blue — this interview indirectly points out key attributes that this organization has seen fade. Culture, reputation, passion.

Those traits attracted the former Super Bowl champion to the Steelers.

Joe Schoen Hints Russell Wilson Wasn’t Interested in Signing With Giants Over Steelers

If you connect the dots after listening to both Wilson and Schoen address the 2024 free agency process at QB, it would appear that the former Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos signal-caller was not all that interested in signing with the Giants.

After speaking with Tomlin and the full-court press that the Steelers deployed, Wilson told Storm that he knew where he was going. “I tried not to show all my cards, but yeah, [my wife Ciara Harris] knew and I knew, and it was just a special feeling,” he recalled.

As for Schoen, when asked very directly about the organization’s pursuit of Wilson on November 12, he responded: “When people are free agents, and you go through the process, you do what you do. If it’s a good fit, then sometimes they come. If they’re not [willing to come], then you can’t make them.”

“So, again, you go through the process of free agency — whether it’s any position — and that’s how free agency works,” he continued. “Players decide where they want to go and what they want to do.”

Schoen also added that “some of that stuff’s out of your control.”

Giants Podcasters Question What Russell Wilson Would Have Accomplished for Giants

At the end of the day, Wilson did not choose the Giants and if you ask the “Talkin’ Giants” podcast, there’s no point getting too worked up over that.

“What was Russell Wilson going to accomplish?” Co-host Justin Penik questioned during a podcast episode on November 14.

With plenty of sarcasm, his fellow co-host Bobby Skinner then replied that the team would be “5-5 maybe” rather than 2-8.

Skinner also reminded fans that the Giants attempted to trade up for a quarterback prospect like Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye in the NFL draft. If they had already signed Wilson, that would have created a logjam at the position that might have effectively pigeonholed the front office on draft night.

Whatever the reason, Wilson to New York didn’t quite fit this spring. Ironically though, Wilson and fellow Steelers quarterback Justin Fields could be two of the Giants’ top free agent options in 2025 assuming they move on from Jones.