‘Stray chatter’ about a New York Giants QB trade reported

Now that he is no longer QB1 for the New York Giants, fans have been wondering if the Giants could get something in a trade for Russell Wilson. A report published on Tuesday indicates there might be a chance.

Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reported that there has been “stray chatter” about the Giants trading Wilson to the Cincinnati Bengals, who are struggling without injured star quarterback Joe Burrow. Burrow is expected to be out until at least mid-December following toe surgery.

Florio wrote:

The Giants currently have a pair of veteran quarterbacks who aren’t playing: Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston. Both played for AFC North teams in 2024. With rookie Jaxson Dart leading the Giants to an upset of the Chargers on Sunday, one of them is expendable.

Wilson has $1.55 million in remaining base salary, after four weeks. Winston has $1.51 million. (Wilson’s incentive package includes $176,000 for each win in which he takes at least 50 percent of the snaps.)

Last week, there was stray chatter of Wilson to the Bengals for a fifth-round pick. And while a deal for Wilson or Winston is possible, the current dynamic could be that neither side wants to make the first move.

In a high-tech world, it’s the lowest of low-tech negotiation tactics. Don’t make the first move.

The general thinking is that whoever picks up the phone first surrenders leverage. Whatever the Giants would have wanted a week ago for either player, they’ll be inclined to want more from the Bengals if Cincinnati were to call today, given last night’s outcome. Whatever the Bengals would have offered a week ago, they’ll be inclined to nudge it lower, given that Dart’s performance highlights the fact that the Giants don’t need both veterans.

The trade deadline arrives five weeks from today. If the Bengals wait until the clock approaches midnight, the cause could be lost — especially since they face the Lions, Packers, and Steelers in the next three games.

Both Wilson and Winston have the arm strength to deliver the ball down the field to Chase and Higgins. Given Chase’s obvious frustrations from Monday night, he quite possibly would welcome a potential upgrade, given Burrow’s indefinite absence.

Valentine’s View

The Bengals (2-2) have lost both of their games with Jake Browning starting in place of Burrow. In 2+ games, Browning has three touchdown passes, five interceptions and a 67.9 passer rating. The Bengals have generated just 13 points in losses to the Minnesota Vikings and Denver Broncos.

If the Giants are going to trade one of their two veteran quarterbacks, Wilson is the one who would seem to make the most sense. Winston is a fine backup quarterback and he has a low-cost two-year, $8 million contract that ties him to the Giants through next season. Wilson has a one-year deal. Now a backup for the first time in his 14-year career, it seems unlikely the 14-year veteran would accept returning to New York in 2026 as QB2 behind Dart.

Of course, Florio did not report that there are active discussions between the two teams. He referred to “stray chatter.” That could be almost anything. It could be a league executive saying “If it was me running the Bengals I’d ask the Giants for Wilson.” It could be a league insider saying “If I was the Giants I’d want a fifth-rounder for Wilson.” It could be Florio reading fan-driven Internet chatter.

Who knows?

My view, though, is that if GM Joe Schoen and the Giants can get a fifth-round pick for Wilson — and whether they realistically can I don’t know — that is something they have to do. Isn’t it?

— ‘Kudos’ to Cincy Jungle for the find.