The New York Giants plan to begin the 2025 regular season with free agent veteran Russell Wilson under center, a clear upgrade from years past.
A few seasons ago, this news would have been even better, as Wilson was considered among one of the NFL’s elite players at the position. But after his stints in Denver and Pittsburgh in which he had a combined win-loss record of 17-24, where does Wilson stand as he leads his third team in the last four years?
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John Kosko of Pro Football Focus recently ranked all 32 NFL starting quarterbacks heading into the 2025 season, and Wilson was ranked 27th overall out of 32 in a category labeled “Veterans capable of solid play but could be quickly replaced.”
The clock is ticking on Wilson’s career. Now 36, he no longer has the mobility that once defined his game, and that limits his ceiling. He still grades well and posted a 79.5 overall mark in 2024, but he struggles to generate the efficiency needed to sustain a high-level offense. With the Giants selecting Jaxson Dart in the first round, head coach Brian Daboll may not hesitate to turn to the rookie if Wilson can’t deliver wins early in the season.
You can’t really knock this analysis as Wilson is a year older, is in a new offense, and has a potential franchise quarterback in Dart champing at the bit behind him.
Thus far, Wilson has shown that he can lead the Giants’ offense both on and off the field in workouts, meetings, and interviews. After all, he is a 10-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champ who knows the ropes as well, or better, than any current player in the NFL.
What Wilson does bring to the Giants is professionalism and experience. Many experts believe all the Giants really needed was better play at quarterback to compete last year. Keep in mind, they only scored over 20 points in four of their 17 games in 2024. In the four games they did eclipse the 20-point mark, their record was 3-1.
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More points will mean more wins in 2025. Whether Wilson gets to play the whole season or not is the only issue that remains.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Where does Giants’ Russell Wilson rank among NFL QBs entering 2025?