Russell Wilson is officially headed to the bench.
In a move that seemed inevitable once Jaxson Dart lit up the preseason -- or perhaps even as soon as Dart was drafted in April-- the New York Giants made a quarterback change ahead of Week 4, going with their first-round pick over veteran Wilson.
Wilson held off the decision for one week after a 450-yard performance in a Week 2 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, but with New York now 0-3, Brian Daboll’s focus had to shift to figuring out what the team has in Dart while trying to save his own job in the process.
Here’s a look at what might come next for Wilson after Tuesday's move.
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What's next for Russell Wilson?
In the short term, the role for Wilson is clear: he will be the Giants' No. 2 quarterback, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported, serving as the direct backup to Dart, with Jameis Winston remaining No. 3 on the depth chart.
That means we may not have seen the last of Wilson in a Giants uniform. He is one hit to Dart away from re-entering and getting a chance at redemption. Realistically, however, there shouldn't be expectations for Wilson to start again as long as Dart is healthy. If the Giants start winning, it likely means Dart is playing well. If the Giants keep losing, there would not be any reason for a 36-year-old quarterback to get any more looks.
It could be argued this is the first purely performance-based benching of Wilson's career. He was benched for the Denver Broncos' final two games of 2023, but his injury guarantee was the motivating factor for the franchise as it made plans to release him in the offseason. Wilson sat out the first six games for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024 due to injury, though Fields' solid play allowed the Steelers to take their time in bringing the veteran back.
With that being said, are Wilson's days as an NFL starter done? A case can be made that he is one of the 32 best quarterbacks in the league, but teams are more willing to experiment with young, unpolished quarterbacks than start older veterans near the bottom of that range. Wilson's options to start were already limited this past offseason. Depending on how he performs if he sees the field again this season, it's tough to imagine another team being willing to hand the keys to him for 2026, when he will be 37 going on 38.
If he isn't going to draw interest as a starter, is Wilson willing to take on a backup role? There hasn't been any reporting on Wilson's willingness to join a team as its clear No. 2 quarterback, but many former franchise quarterbacks opt to walk away rather than try to extend their careers as a backup. If Wilson's options in 2026 are a guaranteed starting job or retirement, the latter seems far more likely at this point.
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Could the Giants trade Russell Wilson?
As far as backup quarterbacks go, Wilson is a strong option. If the Giants keep losing and contending isn’t realistic, however, would it hurt the team for Wilson to move on and Winston to take over the role behind Dart?
Wilson may not be the impact quarterback addition most fans want at this stage of his career, but his 450-yard performance against the Cowboys was a reminder that he can still be a viable starter or fill-in under the right circumstances. All it takes is one quarterback injury for a team to become desperate, and the Cincinnati Bengals are already seeing the ugly ramifications of a major quarterback injury.
There is no indication the Giants are considering trading Wilson, but by the Nov. 4 deadline, another team's desperation could incentivize both sides to split. Any team that acquires Wilson would have to take on what’s left of his roughly $11 million cap hit, which isn’t a major price tag, and offenses that emphasize downfield passes would be a natural fit for the Super Bowl champion.
At this time, though, the Giants appear to be content with Dart, Wilson and Winston as their quarterback depth chart, in that order.
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Russell Wilson contract
Wilson is still being paid by the Broncos for a few more months, but any team interested in trading him wouldn't have to worry about that. Instead, what's left Wilson's roughly $11 million cap hit on his one-year deal with the Giants would be in play.
The Giants only gave Wilson a one-year deal, so he will hit free agency when the new league year begins in March.
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How old is Russell Wilson?
Wilson is 36 years old. He is set to turn 37 in November.
Wilson entered the season as the NFL's fourth-oldest starting quarterback, trailing Aaron Rodgers (41), Joe Flacco (40) and Matthew Stafford (37). Jaxson Dart, more than 14 years younger than Wilson, will become the NFL's youngest starting quarterback at 22, beating Minnesota's J.J. McCarthy by nearly four months.