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If the New York Giants hope to provide rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart with veteran leadership, Chris Simms does not think Russell Wilson is the answer. Despite qualifying for his 10th career Pro Bowl while leading the Pittsburgh Steelers to the playoffs in 2024, Wilson is not the type of leader players look toward for guidance, according to Simms.
While Wilson has an admirable 13-year career and is arguably the greatest quarterback in Seattle Seahawks history, many players do not respect his leadership, Simms said on the Chris Simms Unbuttoned podcast.
“His ability to lead and talk to players; it falls on deaf ears,” Simms said. “Not only was I hearing it from people that I trust in Pittsburgh, you could watch TV and see it. He'd be talking to guys on the sidelines, and they'd literally be trying to look the opposite direction when he was talking.”
Simms said he guesses Wilson will start Week 1 for the Giants if he “had to bet,” but gives him no job security. The analyst suggested that Wilson will have the shortest leash of his career with the competent Jameis Winston behind him and Dart breathing down his neck.
Simms, a former quarterback himself, spent seven years in the league after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers drafted him in 2003. Upon calling it a career, Simms briefly attempted a transition to coaching before settling into his current role as an analyst.
Russell Wilson leads Giants' compact quarterback room
Wilson signed a one-year, $21 million deal to join the Giants in the offseason. The deal puts him on his third different team in as many years, continuing the up-and-down journey of his career since leaving the Seahawks in 2022.
Though Wilson was presumably brought in to be the starter, he will face a moderate amount of competition in training camp. Winston, a former No. 1 overall pick, is coming off a resurgent 2024 season with Dart also in the mix.
The Giants reportedly plan to have Dart learn behind the veterans in his rookie season, but the belief Brian Daboll has in him could trigger an earlier start, especially if Wilson sputters out of the gate.
Coming off a 3-14 season, the Giants have a rough early-season schedule. They begin their season on the road against the Washington Commanders and Dallas Cowboys, only to return home and face the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers.
