At his peak, Russell Wilson was an elite-level quarterback who delivered a Super Bowl to the Seattle Seahawks. However, heading into the 2025 campaign, he finds himself in a completely different situation. Contending might not be on the horizon for the veteran QB, but he is still prepared to leave a mark on the league in a different way.
Following a one-year stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Wilson inked a one-year deal with the New York Giants in free agency. Though it was spilled out, it’s evident why the franchise brought him in. He will be a stopgap at starting quarterback while the team develops 2025 first-round pick Jaxson Dart behind the scenes.
As the veteran QB, Wilson will be expected to help show Dart the ropes as he navigates his first year in the NFL. That said, he feels his mentorship role in New York goes much deeper than that. Along with Dart, Wilson wants to be someone the whole team can come to for guidance or advice.
“I’ve always viewed it as you’re always trying to be the best version of you, and then you’re always giving back to everybody else,” Wilson said, via ESPN. “I think that it’s not just about one teammate, it’s about all the teammates. It’s about everybody in the building. It’s about from all the way to the quarterback room, to the receivers, to the running backs, to the tight ends, to the O-line, and the relationship there, all the way to the defensive line, to the corners, and all the way to the training room.”
Given his career arc, Wilson can be a good mentor for a young Giants team looking to turn things around. Having gone through his fair share of highs and lows, he’s seen it all during his time in the NFL. With his experience, he can help the young players stay on the right track.
While Wilson might want to be a leader for the entire locker room, mentoring Dart should be one of his top priorities. As the franchise’s next QB of the future, they’ll need him to be ready to take the reigns in 2026.
Aside from looking out for his younger teammates, the Giants are also going to need Wilson to take care of business on the field. Their sights might not be set on a Super Bowl, but New York will still want to be competitive. With the NFC East set to be one of the more cutthroat divisions in the league this season, the Giants have to hope they can get quality production from their biggest offseason addition.
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