Getty
New York Giants free agent quarterback Russell Wilson received a subtle message on his future.
It’s been a telling free agency period for New York Giants UFA quarterback Russell Wilson, who has seemingly received very little interest and/or news on his NFL future.
The latest veteran quarterback to sign a deal was long-time starter Kirk Cousins, who is expected to act as a placeholder for likely No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza and the Las Vegas Raiders. The role was a potential option for Wilson, but his name was never seriously linked to the job like Cousins’ was.
On April 8, California Post columnist and Raiders beat reporter Vincent Bonsignore shared an article on X, captioning the post: “Completely at peace, and with eyes wide open, Kirk Cousins arrives in Las Vegas prepared to serve any role the Raiders ask of him, even if that means being Fernando Mendoza’s backup and mentor.”
The teaser caught the attention of New York Post reporter Ryan Dunleavy, who covers the Giants throughout the season. And the NYG beat writer’s initial thought went straight to Wilson.
“I wonder if Russell Wilson can see himself this way,” Dunleavy reacted. “A lot of long-time starters cannot. Good for Kirk.”
Dunleavy may not have meant much by the comment, but even if he didn’t, the words send a subtle message.
The NFL no longer views Wilson as a starter. If he doesn’t agree with that, he’ll find himself on the unemployment line for the foreseeable future.
Russell Wilson’s Silent Free Agency Market Supports Dunleavy’s Sentiment
GettyA lot has changed since the last time Russell Wilson and Kirk Cousins faced off as starting quarterbacks with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Atlanta Falcons.
There’s really only one remaining quarterback vacancy, and it’s Wilson’s former team, the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Wilson may be waiting out the Aaron Rodgers retirement decision before settling on his own next step, but the Steelers have given no indication that they want the former Super Bowl champion QB back. In fact, the Pittsburgh brass have often stressed that they are quite fond of their current quarterbacks, Mason Rudolph and Will Howard.
Wilson managed to get the Steelers to the playoffs in 2024-25, but the team collapsed down the stretch. Not only did they surrender the division title to the Baltimore Ravens late in the year, but they also lost to the Ravens in Baltimore in the Wildcard Round, amplifying the importance of the final stretch.
The following offseason, it was telling that Pittsburgh offered Justin Fields a contract and not Wilson, moving on to Rodgers.
Ironically, Rodgers got the Steelers just as far as Wilson, albeit in different ways.
New Pittsburgh head coach Mike McCarthy is interested in reuniting with Rodgers, his former QB. And yet, he has not expressed the same interest in Wilson, at least not publicly. Unfortunately, neither has anyone else.
It goes without saying, but Wilson’s near-silent free agency market does not bode well for his future in this league.
Would Russell Wilson Re-Sign With the Giants After the Kirk Cousins News?
Let’s say Rodgers returns and the Steelers reunion doesn’t happen. After the Cousins news, that doesn’t leave many legitimate QB1 or QB2 options.
Wilson could just choose not to sign anywhere. There are always injuries once the season begins, and an injury could be his best shot at a starting opportunity.
A QB2 competition is another potential route, but does Wilson really want to uproot his family again for anything besides a guaranteed Week 1 job?
That leaves door number three. If Wilson re-signed with the Giants, he’d serve as their third-string quarterback behind Jaxson Dart and Jameis Winston — a role he was humbled by last year.
Having said that, he’d be a part of an NFL locker room — if that still means something to him — and he’d have a clear purpose as a mentor to Dart. Not to mention the real selling point is New York City.
Wilson signed with the Giants, in part, because he wanted to move to New York City. The veteran signal-caller and his celebrity wife, Ciara, are no strangers to the red carpet, galas, and charity events. They also have a big family, which has now adapted to New York as its home.
It would not surprise anyone if Wilson wanted to remain in NYC. Now, he could easily do that as a free agent and just bide his time before deciding on retirement, and he might.
But if he prefers to spend the training camp season with a team and keep himself NFL-ready, the Giants would be the obvious local choice. After all, Big Blue still needs a third quarterback, and Wilson seemed to develop strong friendships with Dart and Winston.
Michael Obermuller covers the NFL as an Associate Editor for Heavy Sports, where he began writing in 2021. His areas of focus include the NFL breaking news operation, Kansas City Chiefs, New York Giants, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Pittsburgh Steelers, with expert knowledge on each based on years of coverage. Michael is an NYC area native and Quinnipiac graduate. More about Michael Obermuller
More Heavy on Giants
Loading more stories