Russell Wilson’s NFL journey has entered another chapter — and the questions aren’t going away. Now on his third team in as many years, the veteran quarterback has been trying to stabilize the downward spiral that’s been his career since his prime days with the Seattle Seahawks.
The New York Giants signed him this offseason following his release from the Denver Broncos and a brief, underwhelming stop with the Pittsburgh Steelers. But the one-year deal and the Giants’ decision to not only sign Jameis Winston as insurance but also draft quarterback Jaxson Dart in the first round just weeks later suggest they view Wilson more as a placeholder than a bridge.
Tick, Tick, Bench: Russell Wilson’s Time May Be Running Out With the New York Giants
NFL on NBC analyst and former quarterback Chris Simms isn’t convinced Wilson can hold on to the job for long. Simms sees Wilson as a classic “clock’s ticking” player entering 2025 — a starter in name only, whose leash is shortening by the day. In fact, Simms said Wilson owns the clock-is-ticking tier. So much so that if Dart picks things up quickly, the analyst wouldn’t be surprised if the veteran is back on the bench before the season hits full stride.
“The clock is ticking. Literally, figuratively, all of it … We’ll see where this goes,” Simms said during a recent episode of “Chris Simms Unbuttoned.”
“It wouldn’t shock me if we go through OTAs and minicamp and you hear murmurs, ‘Man, Jaxson Dart looked really good. He really got the offense down, he knows what he’s doing.’”
If Dart flashes during the preseason — especially if he has chemistry with New York’s top wideout, Malik Nabers — Simms believes Wilson’s starting clock could be limited to just a few weeks. “The percent chance that [Wilson] takes the first snap Week 1, hovers around 80% and starts decreasing with each week,” cohost Ahmed Fareed noted, estimating, “The chance Wilson takes the first snap Week 17 – five percent?”
Beyond declining performance, Simms zeroed in on something even more concerning: Wilson’s inability to command the locker room. “Here’s another aspect of Russell Wilson’s game, too … his ability to lead and talk to the players, it falls on deaf ears,” Simms said. “Not only was I hearing it from people that I trust in Pittsburgh and all that, but you could watch TV and see it. He’d be talking to guys on the sideline, and they’d be looking in the opposite direction he was talking.”
Those moments, subtle as they may seem, raise red flags for a quarterback expected to bridge the gap to the franchise’s future. “Leadership, running the offense, working the entire field — those have to be improved by Russell Wilson if he wants to continue to be a starter,” Simms added. “It can’t just be the Russell Wilson Moon Ball Show week after week.”
The Giants may open the year with Wilson under center, but if Jaxson Dart proves ready and the losses pile up, expect that leash to snap sooner rather than later. Simms sees the writing on the wall — and it reads more like an expiration date than a comeback script.