Mike Florio ,
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When quarterback Russell Wilson signed with the Giants, he was quick to point out that he once won a Super Bowl at MetLife Stadium. That was one game. And his career as the Giants’ starter resulted in the same experience — one game at MetLife Stadium.
That’s all Wilson got before the team decided to implement the Jaxson Dart protocol. (And Wilson might not have even gotten that, if he hadn’t turned back the clock and thrown for 450 yards against the Cowboys in Dallas.)
So what’s next for Wilson, now that he has been sent to the bench?
When things started to go sideways in Denver, Wilson’s personal P.R. team activated, pushing the talking points regarding a supposed “threat” that he’ll be benched if he doesn’t change the trigger date for a fully-guaranteed 2025 base salary. What, if anything, will be the message now that Wilson has been told, as politely as possible, to take a seat by the Giants after only three games?
It could be one of the reasons why he got a second game in the first place, after a sluggish Week 1 performance at Washington. It could be one of the reasons why the team went through an awkward early-season stretch of refusing to let Dart or Jameis Winston talk to the media. The Giants needed to create the impression that Wilson got a full and fair chance to hold the job. After Sunday night, with Wilson launching moon balls that, for the most part, didn’t connect and the fans booing his ultimately ignominious return to the site of Super Bowl XLVIII, it will be hard for unnamed sources to have much credibility if/when complaints circulate about how Russ has been treated by Big Blue.
Still, even if external agitation doesn’t occur, Wilson could begin to make an internal effort to exit New York. His salary guarantees only $10.5 million for 2025, with another $10.5 million available in incentives that are unlocked by playing, not by sitting. Of that amount, $7.5 million was tied to performance, playing time, and making the playoffs. Another $3 million flowed from each win in which he takes at least 50 percent of the snaps.
He has unlocked none of the incentives, and will earn not a penny beyond his base deal if he doesn’t play. He has an obvious financial incentive to try to go to a team where he will be on the field.
Of the various quarterback injuries suffered through three weeks of the 2025 season, only one team has lost its starter for most (if not all) of the balance of the season: The Bengals. And Wilson was born in Cincinnati. That’s an obvious place for him to try to go.
There could be others. Six weeks remain until the trade deadline arrives. If the Giants don’t want him to play, he’ll likely (if not definitely) want to go to a team that gives him the ball.
Or he could ask to be released. While the Giants may not want to eat the balance of his $10.5 million salary, they’d still have Winston if/when Wilson is gone. If no one will trade for Wilson, it could make plenty of sense to eat the money and part ways.
Regardless of how it plays out, it will be a surprise if Wilson allows his career to go gentle into that good night. Which is exactly what it will do if he spends the next 15 weeks in the shadows of Jaxson Dart.
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