Not a few eyebrows were raised after the New York Giants acquired veteran quarterback Russell Wilson in the offseason. There were lingering questions about his declining productivity and, more bluntly, his age.
The 36-year-old Wilson, who agreed to a one-year, $10.5 million deal, had a lackluster stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers last season. He missed five weeks due to a calf injury. Many wondered if he could still regain the form that made him a 10-time Pro Bowler.
Amid the criticisms, Wilson's confidence has never wavered. He knows exactly what he can bring to the Giants.
“And at the end of the day, you got to make plays. I've been fortunate to be able to make plays for a long time, and it's on film. A lot of it is just: You study it, you learn it and grow, and keep getting better. You ignore the noise and you keep your head down and keep working,” said Wilson in a report from Fox Sports.
“I also work on it too. I think the last piece of it is that I think my mental aptitude is definitely very strong.”
He has already earned the starting spot on the Giants. But of course, as with any team, there's a chance that Wilson could be replaced, with veteran backup Jameis Winston and promising rookie Jaxson Dart waiting in the wings.
While he did not entirely dismiss that notion, Wilson doubled down on his self-belief.
“I think you're always just trying to prove yourself right. I know what I'm capable of every day. I never lack confidence,” added the one-time Super Bowl champion, who has thrown over 46,000 passing yards and 35 touchdowns.
Giants quarterbacks coach Shea Tierney, who has worked with Wilson since he arrived in New York, knows very well that their new signal-caller is ready for the challenge.
“Sometimes in this game, things don’t bounce your way, don’t go the way you want them to. You’ve just got to be resilient with that, and that’s the biggest thing that Russ has done,” said Tierney.
