Russell Wilson is facing a new chapter in his storied career, as the quarterback heads to the bench for the Giants. But what comes next?
Russell Wilson was bound to hand off the New York Giants' starting quarterback role to Jaxson Dart at some point.
But the 36-year-old's benching wasn't the product of a controversy that simmered over the course of a season. Instead, the sense of inevitability surrounding the change hit early, with coach Brian Daboll executing the switch Tuesday, per multiple reports, after his team fell to 0-3 with a "Sunday Night Football" faceplant against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Now, after his third consecutive high-profile flameout in as many years following previous splits from the Denver Broncos and Pittsburgh Steelers, the 10-time Pro Bowl passer is staring down what appears to be a shortage of options in both the near and long term.
Here's a breakdown of what could be ahead for Wilson:
What's next for Russell Wilson this season with Giants?
While the Giants have yet to publicly reveal any details surrounding the move to Dart, the odds of Wilson finding his way back to action for New York seem vanishingly small.
When Daboll first left the door open for a change behind center on Monday by saying the coaching staff was "evaluating everything," it represented a stark tonal shift from the message that the organization had clung to for nearly five months. After the Giants traded up to select Dart at No. 25 overall in the NFL draft, Daboll immediately declared Wilson the starter, noting that the team wouldn't rush the development of its young quarterback. Even as the Mississippi product shined throughout training camp and preseason action, franchise brass didn't budge on its insistence to roll with the veteran.
To make such a swift about-face, then, indicates the organization reached a breaking point – and far sooner than many would have predicted.
External pressures were clearly mounting, as fans chanted "we want Dart" after Wilson threw his second interception just before halftime Sunday in a 22-9 loss to the Chiefs. The rookie's insertion into the lineup for a handful of plays elicited a surge of cheers, and the crowd doubled down on its disapproval of Wilson by booing him upon his subsequent returns.
But the Giants' decision undoubtedly entailed far more than consideration of optics. While Wilson did provide one game of dizzying highs with his Week 2 deep-ball assault against the Dallas Cowboys, New York's attack repeatedly stalled when stakes were at their highest. The offense ranks 31st both in the red zone scoring and on third-down conversion percentage.
The Giants might envision Dart as a potential antidote to both those woes. An adept runner, he is sure to change the complexion of the attack with more run-pass options. New York's embrace of those wholesale changes illustrates the level of buy-in for embracing a new chapter – and leaving Wilson and his volatile playing style behind.
With Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen entering the season on hot seats that seemingly have only gotten toastier, there's no discernible upside in turning back to Wilson at any point for the rest of this season. If Dart flourishes, he'll surely continue to start. But even if he falters, what incentive is there to sit him given that jobs could be on the line? Upon retaining the existing regime, co-owner John Mara made clear he wanted the organization to quickly identify an answer at quarterback. Daboll and Co. have seen enough from Wilson already to rule that he isn't it, so it's now on them to determine if Dart is.
Wilson's only reasonable route back to reclaiming the starting gig might involve Dart being sidelined by an injury. The Carolina Panthers' Bryce Young, for one, managed to bounce back from last season's benching once Andy Dalton's thumb injury opened a window for him to prove himself with a fresh opportunity. But the age dynamic and resource commitment in that scenario were the inverse of what Wilson faces. And even coming back with a hot hand might not be enough for the 36-year-old to entrench himself unless Dart is shelved for an extensive stretch.
Could Giants trade Russell Wilson before deadline?
Expect to hear Wilson's name floated plenty ahead of the Nov. 5 trade deadline. But there's a strong likelihood that there will be more fan interest than team interest in acquiring the 14th-year pro.
Financial factors shouldn't prove much of an obstacle for either the Giants or anyone interested in his services in a potential deal. Wilson's one-year, $10.5 million deal carries a base salary of just $2 million, so taking a flier on him wouldn't necessitate much of a commitment. With another capable veteran backup around in Jameis Winston, New York could embrace a split fairly seamlessly.
But what kind of market – if any – will there be for his services? Injuries have already hit several teams hard behind center, with five backups starting in Week 3. Still, front offices are typically reticent to shake up the position during the season with outside additions. Even rare midseason quarterback trades, such as the Minnesota Vikings' 2023 pickup of Joshua Dobbs, are most often spurred by a pursuit of depth rather than a plug-and-play starter.
Wilson's best hope of finding a new setting this year, then, might be for a team in search of some insurance. The Cincinnati Bengals threw their support behind backup Jake Browning once Joe Burrow was lost to turf toe, but maybe a team that had looked to be all in on 2025 would want to evaluate options beyond recent signings Mike White and Sean Clifford, especially after Sunday's franchise-worst 48-10 loss to the Vikings. Beyond that, however, it's difficult to identify possible suitors, though the landscape could change quickly in the coming weeks.
Russell Wilson's 2026 outlook in NFL free agency
For the third time in as many years, Wilson is set to hit the open market as a free agent in March. The options for him figure to be even more limited than they were in his previous two trips.
Wilson already has seen his range of possibilities largely shaped by other quarterbacks' decisions, as the Giants emerged last March only after their pursued trade of Matthew Stafford and flirtation with Aaron Rodgers both fizzled out. The other teams that he spoke with, per multiple reports, were the Cleveland Browns, who scavenged for low-cost signal-callers throughout the offseason, and the Steelers, who opted to embrace the unknown with a potential pursuit of Rodgers rather than bringing back the passer who started 11 games for them in 2024.
With Wilson's latest – and perhaps final – starting stint lasting just three games, it seems like a long shot that he could find someone willing to give him another go as a first-stringer. The last chapter of his career, then, might be determined by his willingness to operate as a backup.
It's largely unfamiliar territory for a player who immediately stepped into the spotlight with the Seattle Seahawks as a third-round rookie. Outside of a two-game benching at the conclusion of his time with the Broncos and an injury-related absence to start last season with the Steelers, the starting gig has been all Wilson has known. A player who has earned more than $313 million throughout his career would likely make a relative pittance next year unless he's somehow able to boost his value prior to the offseason.
But Wilson has been resolute about his desire to continue playing, even throughout a stretch in which many have wondered when he'll choose to wrap things up.
"I definitely want to play another five to seven years," Wilson told ESPN's Hannah Storm last November. "I think that's always been my goal, I've been clear about that since the beginning. I think that's always been my mindset, is the longevity of the game. I've been fortunate to be able to play 200-plus games and really not miss many. ... I feel great, I feel young, I feel like I can still move around out there and make all the decisions and all the throws."
Just as he learned this week, however, plans can change in an instant.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What's next for Russell Wilson? QB's future murky after benching
Category: Football
