Russell Wilson enjoyed a storied career with the Seattle Seahawks before a disastrous two-year stint with the Denver Broncos. While he did manage to lead the Pittsburgh Steelers to the playoffs in his last stop, Wilson is now a free agent.
The 10-time Pro Bowler has drawn interest from several teams this offseason, but none have signed him yet. With the Steelers and New York Giants emerging as his most likely landing spots, one NFL insider has revealed Wilson’s preference between the two.
Jeremy Fowler Reveals Russell Wilson’s Preference Between New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers
Despite a rocky two years in Denver — where his completion percentage hit a career low — the Steelers brought Wilson in to lead their offense for the 2024 NFL season.
The Super Bowl champion had his moments, but his play faded down the stretch for Pittsburgh. Wilson finished the 2024 regular season ranked 17th among quarterbacks in PFSN’s QB+ metric. He threw for 2,482 yards, 16 touchdowns, and five interceptions, with a 95.6 passer rating and an EPA per dropback of -0.06.
Now 36 years old and a free agent, Wilson is looking for what could be his final payday as a starting quarterback. At this point, he reportedly has two options: a return to Pittsburgh or a fresh start in New York.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, both the Steelers and Giants are waiting for four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers to make a decision. While Wilson is considered a backup option for both teams, Fowler reported that the Steelers have him “number two, number three” on their list — and that’s why Wilson is eyeing the Giants.
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“I’m told that Aaron Rodgers has standing offers from both the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New York Giants, so it’s up to him to decide,” Fowler said on Sports Center. “This is his first foray into free agency in 20 years, so really nobody outside of his inner circle knows exactly what to expect.”
“I get the sense, although this is fluid, the sense that Pittsburgh is willing to wait this out a little bit. Rodgers is their top target, so they’ll see where it goes. … They got Russell Wilson still as sort of a contingency, but he’s sort of been number two, number three on their list all along, and so I’m told that Russell Wilson sees the Giants as more of a viable option for him throughout this process.”
Quarterback play has been an issue for the Giants for a while. They finally moved on from Daniel Jones, but neither Drew Lock nor Tommy DeVito inspires much confidence as a starter. Wilson’s 17th-place finish in PFSN’s QB+ metric for 2024 suggests he still deserves another starting chance.
While Wilson’s numbers weren’t spectacular, he’d be an upgrade for a Giants offense that earned an F grade in the 2024 Offense+ rankings. New York ranked 30th in yards per game (294.8) and net yards per pass attempt (5.5), 31st in points per game (15.3), and dead last in red zone efficiency (43.2%).
