The Giants‘ Plan ‘D’ at quarterback is a doozy.
The scrambling franchise reached settlement Tuesday with veteran quarterback Russell Wilson on a one-year contract value $10.5 million assured simply days after signing veteran Jameis Winston to a two-year, $8 million deal.
Wilson’s contract reportedly could possibly be value as much as $21 million with incentives.
This signing is the results of the L.A. Rams’ Matthew Stafford turning down a commerce to New York, free agent Aaron Rodgers preferring different choices to the Giants and even a veteran free agent like Joe Flacco strolling out of the Giants’ facility with no contract.
Wilson, 36, a 10-time Professional Bowler and Tremendous Bowl champion, all the time was the probably signing for the determined Giants.
He visited them one 12 months in the past earlier than signing in Pittsburgh. And he didn’t have a robust market or the leverage to attend for a contender right here in 2025.
It didn’t appear essential to put money into a veteran like Wilson after the Giants signed Winston. However New York seems to have panicked and signed Winston to keep away from being left emptyhanded at QB, solely to proceed holding out their palms to Rodgers and Wilson if they may discover a taker.
Neither Winston’s nor Wilson’s signings resolve the Giants’ want for a franchise quarterback.
They maintain the No. 3 general choose in April’s NFL Draft, so they could have an opportunity to draft Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders there and group him with veteran mentors in Wilson and Winston. Joe Schoen and a big Giants contingent was in Florida with out head coach Brian Daboll on Monday to look at projected No. 1 general choose and Miami quarterback Cam Ward.
The Giants’ persistence on the veteran quarterback market after signing Winston, nonetheless, appeared to sign that they acknowledge two quarterbacks would possibly come off the board earlier than they even get an opportunity to choose.
Their preliminary offseason plan to commerce for Stafford and pay him a top-of-market contract additionally appeared to level towards doubtlessly drafting a non-quarterback like Colorado nook Travis Hunter at No. 3 general.
The Tennessee Titans look poised to pick out Ward No. 1 general. And the Cleveland Browns at No. 2 sound “potentially open trading back,” insider Josina Anderson reported Tuesday night time.
Perhaps the Giants may transfer as much as No. 2 to get their man. Or maybe one other group will attempt to leapfrog them for a passer.
Regardless, whether or not it’s Sanders or Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart or another person, Schoen and Daboll must get a rookie quarterback into the constructing to develop.
Daboll raved about Wilson final fall earlier than the Giants misplaced to Wilson’s Steelers head-to-head.
“I will say this with Russell: He’s a good football player,” Daboll stated final fall of Wilson, who threw for 2482 yards, 16 touchdowns and 5 interceptions final season. “He’s been a good football player for a long time… Since 2018 [he has been] one of the higher explosive-play quarterbacks… Won a Super Bowl. Was in another Super Bowl. Got a lot of respect for him as a person, as a player.”
Wilson solely has a 23-32 file as a starter in his previous 4 seasons, although: one 12 months in Seattle, two in Denver after a blockbuster commerce from the Seahawks and one in Pittsburgh.
Final season with the Steelers, he changed Justin Fields in Week 7 after lacking time with a calf damage and went 4-0 in his first 4 begins and 6-1 in his first seven video games, throwing 12 landing passes to solely three interceptions in that stretch.
However then Wilson and Pittsburgh misplaced 5 straight video games to shut the season. And the Baltimore Ravens smoked the Steelers within the AFC Wild Card playoff spherical, 28-14, going up 21-0 and outgaining Pittsburgh 308 yards to 59 by halftime.
This was a regarding reminder of why the Broncos had lower Wilson outright the 12 months prior in the course of a five-year, $242.6 million contract.
Denver benched Wilson in 2023 earlier than he may undergo an damage that may have triggered a $37 million damage assure for 2024, then launched him and ate an enormous lifeless cap hit. The Steelers then solely needed to pay Wilson a $1.2 million base wage to signal him for the season.
Mockingly, the Giants then did the identical factor with Daniel Jones final fall: they benched him to keep away from triggering a $23 million damage assure and ultimately granted his launch.
Now, in an offseason wherein Schoen promised to maintain “swinging,” the Giants’ quarterbacks to this point are a backup the Browns didn’t carry again and a starter the Steelers not prioritized.
The NFL Draft is now their solely hope for upside in a 12 months that can price everybody their jobs if the Giants don’t begin profitable and demonstrating progress and promise.
Initially Printed: March 25, 2025 at 6:57 PM EDT
