When the New York Giants signed veteran quarterback Russell Wilson in free agency back in March, most understood the Giants' logic and thinking behind the one-year deal.
Unlike the long-term deals Wilson got previously with the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos, the Giants signed Wilson to be a placeholder, especially since the team drafted Jaxson Dart with a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Most people understood that this was a short-term signing.
Because of that, and the selection of rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart in this year's draft, there's a strong possibility that the 2025 season could be seen as nothing more than just a stop in the Hall of Famer’s career. It might not be an ideal scenario for the veteran, but the Giants have made it apparent they didn't intend to keep him around for long.
Tyler Sullivan of CBS Sports believes Wilson is one of 10 potential players who could be playing in their final season during 2025 for sensible reasons, and it's hard to argue against his points.
“So, Wilson, who will turn 37 during the 2025 season, will likely be looking for a new team yet again next offseason as Dart ascends to QB1 sooner rather than later. Does Wilson want to do that again? Moreover, will a team want Russell Wilson? The former Super Bowl champion was a backup option for the Giants after a failed pursuit of Matthew Stafford earlier this offseason.
Even the Steelers opted to wait months for Aaron Rodgers rather than simply bring Wilson back into the fold. So, a retirement decision could be made for Wilson as a starting job may not be available to him, and it's hard to see him accepting a full-time backup role anywhere.”
If 2025 is in fact the final season for Wilson, it could be for one of two potential reasons.
Russell Wilson might have to use the Giants to further his NFL career beyond the 2025 season
The first is because Wilson played so poorly during his tenure with the Giants, he decides to walk away from the NFL because the starting offers aren’t there anymore and rather than continuing to tarnish a Hall of Fame career further, he’ll ride off and enjoy the time with his family and wait for his call into Canton in a few years.
There’s also a chance that Wilson could be pulled as the starter for the Giants at some point because Brian Daboll wanted to insert Dart as the starter to see how he’d fare in his rookie season. After all, the season was already lost early on.
That’s the one scenario, and it would be a terrible way for Wilson to go out and end his career. The other scenario for Wilson to hang it up after 2025 and call it a career would be the route taken by John Elway, Michael Strahan, and Jerome Bettis. Retirement while walking off as a champion. Wilson already has one Super Bowl on his resume, and if not for a possible handoff, Wilson might have had a second one.
Last year, Wilson helped guide the Steelers to the postseason, but fell to the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Wild Card Round. Imagine if Wilson could straighten the Giants' ship to the point where he ends the Giants' skid, gets them back to the postseason, and goes on one last playoff run with them? That would be a perfect way for a future Hall of Famer to ride off into the sunset and await the call.
It’s also possible that Wilson might not want to retire at all and could just play it year-to-year in the league if the stint with the Giants is only for the one season, just like it was with the Steelers last season. Several quarterbacks in the league have played well into their 40s, and Wilson hasn’t shown signs of slowing down to the point where no teams want him. Wilson had plenty of interest in him heading into 2025 and received starting quarterback money to be the Giants' starting quarterback.
This, of course, is complete speculation, especially since the season is a good two months away and Wilson has yet to take a single snap under center for the Giants in his debut season for the team. However, depending on how the year unfolds, retirement may become a viable scenario for Wilson.