NFC Team Reportedly Eyeing QB Russell Wilson As Backup Plan

The Pittsburgh Steelers aren’t the only franchise considering quarterback Russell Wilson this offseason.

Wilson’s lone campaign with Pittsburgh last season makes the 36-year-old a prime candidate to rejoin the Steelers, but that’s only if Art Rooney II and Mike Tomlin get ahead of everyone else. Wilson, who is set to be a free agent, can meet with anyone at the negotiations table, including the New York Giants, a team expected to pursue the 10-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl XLVIII champion following their now-dead interest in quarterback Matthew Stafford, who reached an agreement with the Los Angeles Rams last week on a revised contract.

“Russell Wilson is also someone whom the Giants have discussed. One league source believed him to be the player the Giants ultimately land,” SNY’s Connor Hughes reported Sunday.

New York has exclusive rights to free-agent quarterback Tommy DeVito, plus the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, which presumably will be used to select the team’s quarterback of the future. However, the Giants also desire a veteran quarterback to work alongside that currently unknown rookie quarterback. So far, each name linked to the franchise — Wilson, Stafford and Aaron Rodgers — all have something in common: a Vince Lombardi Trophy on their resumes.

Wilson worked in a similar role this past season for Pittsburgh, splitting signal-caller duties alongside Justin Fields and with no issue. The two booked the Steelers an appearance in the AFC wild-card game against the Baltimore Ravens and fell short, but that hasn’t deterred teams from considering Wilson in the open market. He remains among the best quarterback options available and remains capable of helping a franchise secure a playoff spot.

Based on Giants general manager Joe Schoen’s words, Wilson fits the mold of what New York wants.

“In theory, yeah, you take the rookie quarterback, they’re on the rookie deal for five years. Where we are salary cap-wise, you can build around them. You’ve got to make sure that one of those guys are going to be there or they’re even in the draft,” Schoen said at the scouting combine, per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan. “Having a vet in place — I’ve told you guys this before, where when you go into draft day, you could go play a game. Is your team going to be as good as you want it to be? No, but you’ve still got the draft. So prevent some of the draft-for-need and being able to take the best player available.”

Wilson signed a one-year, $1.21 million deal with the Steelers last offseason.

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