Russell “DangeRuss” Wilson has been anything but dangerous for the past couple of seasons. Since leaving Seattle in 2022, it’s been a steady downhill slope for the 14-year veteran -- one that’s likely coming to an end altogether in East Rutherford.
Wilson was brought in last offseason to be the bridge quarterback for rookie Jaxson Dart. However, it took just three starts in Giants blue to realize that “Let Russ Cook” was just flat-out cooked. The 37-year-old was benched for Dart by Week 4 and has been riding the bench ever since.
Everyone who's watched the potential future Hall of Famer this season saw the same thing: it’s over. It seems like the only one who hasn’t come around to that yet is Russ. For a guy nicknamed Mr. Unlimited, the only thing that’s been unlimited seems to be his free time.
On Wednesday, Wilson responded to a social media post talking about how his play from 2017–2020 would make him the best QB in the NFL today, and his reply was one of the more puzzling responses imaginable:
Man… I gotta get back to Ballin’ & being Me.
— Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) December 10, 2025
Back to my First 10.
It’s time. Time to go Dark. https://t.co/TDwx0gz17R
Russell Wilson’s cryptic message hints Giants benching hasn’t broken him yet
Russ has always been a pre-loaded response guy, but this reply felt a bit more off-the-cuff. And if you’re reading this cryptic post the same way I am, it certainly sounds like the 10-time Pro Bowler isn’t thinking of hanging up the cleats any time soon.
The post-Seahawks downfall of Russell Wilson needs to be studied. The former Super Bowl champion looks like a complete shell of himself. He’s gone from being a mortal lock for the Hall of Fame to a third-string quarterback in just four years, fighting for one-year deals to stay in the league.
If and when he does decide to call it a career, he could already have his next job lined up. During Big Blue’s Week 14 bye, Wilson played analyst on CBS Sports’ NFL Today before kickoffs started. That feels like a much safer career path than going dark and trying to salvage what’s left of an all-but-lost football career.
The Russ Bus earned nine Pro Bowls and won a Super Bowl in his first 10 seasons in the Pacific Northwest. It's no wonder he'd like to go back to the glory days. But it's clear as day he's no longer that guy.
If a quarterback-needy team convinces itself it can bring out the old Russ -- the one who’s “back to ballin’” and “being himself” -- maybe he’ll get another shot. He’ll be a free agent this offseason. It’ll be interesting to see what happens next.