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After making waves in free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft, few teams changed more in the offseason than the New York Giants. However, nothing the Giants did had a bigger impact on their short-term outlook than signing veteran quarterback Russell Wilson.
Once they released Daniel Jones, the Giants committed to finding a new quarterback in the 2025 offseason. Once Jones' reign of terror ended, New York closed out the season with Drew Lock under center and had no desire to re-sign the veteran journeyman. Instead, general manager Joe Schoen inked former first overall pick Jameis Winston before doubling up in free agency with Wilson.
While committing to Wilson in the short term, Schoen also set his team up for the future. Roughly one month after signing the 10-time Pro Bowler, the Giants traded up to draft Jaxson Dart at the end of the first round. Though Dart is clearly the intended future of the team, New York plans to give Wilson the wheel in 2025 and allow its prized rookie to develop.
After spending his first 10 seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, Wilson is now on his third team in as many years. Following a failed two-year stint with the Denver Broncos, Wilson semi-successfully rebounded with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024. Now 36, the oft-criticized signal-caller joins the biggest market of his career in the team's most vulnerable position.
Russell Wilson was Giants' riskiest move of 2025 offseason
The Giants absolutely needed to sign a veteran quarterback in free agency, and the options were slim to none. That does not change the fact that Wilson is a big risk for a team that desperately needs an answer at quarterback.
Once viewed as an elite quarterback, Wilson has been a gamble for the last four years. With 13 missed games since 2021, injuries continue to limit him as his on-field performances fluctuate. In the last three seasons, Wilson recorded the fewest touchdowns of his career in 2022 and his lowest yard total in each of the last two years.
Wilson is coming off his most productive season since leaving the Seahawks in 2021, but he also enters the biggest market of his career. Denver fans were harsh on him, but Wilson will be public enemy No. 1 in New York every Monday after a bad game.
For Wilson, signing with the Giants was simultaneously his best and worst move in the offseason. Playing for a coach like Brian Daboll allows him to potentially extend his career and reclaim the spotlight. However, as a player who struggled with sacks his entire career, working behind an offensive line that allowed 48 sacks in 2024 is worrisome.
The Giants, however, did not put all their eggs in the Wilson basket. One month after signing him, New York traded up to take Jaxson Dart in the 2025 NFL Draft. Wilson is still expected to open the year as the starter, but with Dart reportedly showing out in OTAs, every wrong step the veteran takes will put him further on the chopping block.
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With Dart on the team, Wilson is not as much of a risk for the Giants. But if the season falls apart at the seams, it will be because he did not deliver. Betting on Wilson at this point in his career feels like a 50-50 gamble, one that Schoen potentially put his job on the line for.
Giants took other risks in 2025 offseason
After turning over most of their roster in the offseason, the Giants took more risks than just Russell Wilson. New York broke the bank for Jevon Holland and Paulson Adebo in free agency, while also signing Chauncey Golston, Jameis Winston, Roy Robertson-Harris and James Hudson III.
However, aside from Wilson, it is hard to view any move other than Darius Slayton's three-year, $36 million extension as the team's second-biggest risk. The notion of pairing Slayton with Malik Nabers for years to come makes logistical sense, but there is no denying he is an innate gamble.
While being the Giants' most consistent receiver for most of his career, Slayton has been a prototypical boom-or-bust player. On paper, he topped 700 receiving yards in four of his six seasons with the team, but he routinely bounces back and forth from a deep bench piece to a leading receiver. He has yet to start an entire season despite missing just seven games in his six-year run.
Slayton's annual salary is not massive, but it is far too much to pay for a reserve. So far, Slayton has yet to prove himself as a full-time starter, even if his stats say otherwise. Aside from Wilson, whose performance directly correlates with the team's success in 2025, Slayton is easily the team's biggest risk of the offseason.
For the most part, the Giants' entire 2025 offseason is a major gamble. After functionally tanking most of the 2024 season, the pressure is on New York to perform. The Schoen-Daboll era likely depends on it, even if they deserve more time in a just world.
