The New York Giants signed Russell Wilson this offseason with a clear vision in mind: he will take the reins under center until first-round signal-caller Jaxson Dart is ready for the big stage. With Dart set to make his first NFL start in Week 4, that moment came far sooner than anticipated because it's evident Wilson is not the quarterback that once set the league on fire.
Entering the season, the 36-year-old QB was right on the cusp of surpassing the 50,000 yards milestone and the expectation was that the 10-time Pro Bowler was a lock for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. However, since being traded from Seattle to Denver after the 2021 season, his reputation has taken a severe hit to the point that one of his former Seahawks teammates has soured on his legacy.
Tony Gonzalez: "If ever there was somebody who played himself out of a Hall of Fame, it's Russell Wilson..."
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 26, 2025
Richard Sherman: "Without that legendary defense (in Seattle), he's been 4-11, 7-8, 0-3 to start with the Giants..." 🏈🔥🎙️ #NFL pic.twitter.com/bZeE4ymB8f
Richard Sherman is one of the most accomplished cornerbacks of the last decade, but credits himself and the Legion of Boom for Wilson's one Super Bowl ring. The pair were teammates from 2012-2017, and it's clear that the five-time Pro Bowler's resentment over Super Bowl XLIX hasn't faded over the years.
Richard Sherman makes a ridiculous Hall of Fame claim about Russell Wilson
As a Giant, Wilson played like a shell of the quarterback who once terrorized defenses with his improvisation and precision deep ball. His "moon ball" hasn't aged, but his mobility has faded and his decision-making looked pitiful in Week 3 against the Chiefs.
The Wisconsin product shined against the Cowboys in Week 2, but there's a reason Dallas is the worst pass defense in the league on a per-game basis. His production wasn't replicated against Washington or Kansas City, and he would have been in for a long day against the Chargers.
His 778 passing yards through three weeks ranked sixth in the NFL, but he also threw three interceptions - which included two back-breaking turnovers on Sunday night - before being benched for the rookie out of Ole Miss in a move that feels like a career obituary.
Between his disastrous Broncos tenure, an average season in Pittsburgh, and not even lasting one month as the starter in New York, it has fans second-guessing things, but their argument is laughable. Wilson remains one of the most productive quarterbacks of this generation, even if his production has taken a nosedive in recent years.
His numbers are undeniable: nearly 50,000 career passing yards, a Super Bowl ring, and 10 Pro Bowl nods. On his resume alone, he checks every box. But football legacies are measured based on how players are remembered, not just what they accomplished, and he's making it difficult to remember the days where No. 3 was one of the league's most electric playmakers.
That's why a trade could make sense, so Wilson can return to reminding people what he's capable of with a change of scenery.