Newly signed New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson expects to be the team’s starting quarterback this season.
“I expect to be the starter and come in here and be ready to rock and roll every day,” the quarterback said. “I think this team’s really looking for somebody to lead them in every way in terms of the process: in the offseason, during the season, our habits and our thought process, and how we create a great winning culture.”
“I think the big part for me is just try to—this’ll be my 14th year—to be able to lead an amazing group of men that really have big hopes and goals and dreams and desires, and we all share the same goal,” he added.
Wilson heaped praise on several players by name: superstar defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence and outside linebacker Brian Burns; tight ends Chris Manhertz and Greg Dulcich, both of whom he played with as a Denver Bronco in 2023; wide receiver Malik Nabers, a 2024 first-round draft pick; tight end Theo Johnson; wide receivers Darius Slayton, Jalin Hyatt, and Wan'Dale Robinson; and offensive linemen Andrew Thomas and Greg Van Roten. He also praised Giants owner John Mara, general manager Joe Schoen, and head coach Brian Daboll.
After signing Wilson, the Giants are expected to select a quarterback with a top pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. Wilson said he was not worried about it, and would focus on leading both him and the team.
Observing that most NFL teams have three quarterbacks, Wilson said: “Right now we have Tommy DeVito, we have Jameis [Winston] and myself. We’re just excited to get to work.”
“The great part about professional sports [is] there’s constant change, there’s constant movement and everything else. If we draft a quarterback, we'll make sure that he does everything he can to be ready to go and be prepared with his mentality.”
Wilson was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks out of Wisconsin in the third round in 2012. In just his second year in the NFL, he helped the Seahawks to the franchise’s first championship, a 43-8 win over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII, hosted at the Giants’ home, MetLife Stadium. He rushed for a career-high 849 yards in 2014 and helped Seattle to a second consecutive Super Bowl appearance, though they lost to the New England Patriots 28-24 in the final minute.
Wilson continued to have success after the Super Bowl runs. He led the league in passer rating in 2015, and passed for more than 4,000 yards in consecutive seasons in 2015 and 2016, including a career-high 4,219 in 2016. He led the league in passing touchdowns with 34 in 2017. He had another pair of back-to-back 4,000-yard passing seasons in 2019 and 2020, and a career-high 40 passing TDs in 2020.
In 10 seasons with Seattle, Wilson was named to nine Pro Bowls and a Second Team All-Pro in 2019. He holds the Seahawks franchise records for rushing yards by a quarterback in a career and a season; most passing yards in a career and a single game; and most passing touchdowns in a career, season, and game.
Traded to Denver in 2022, he played two seasons for the Broncos, passing for more than 3,000 yards both years but posting a losing record in both. He was cut by Denver and signed with Pittsburgh, where he played 11 games, throwing for 2,482 yards, 16 touchdowns, and five interceptions, and helping the Steelers to the playoffs.
