Super Bowl-winning quarterback Russell Wilson, who is married to pop icon Ciara, joined his fourth different NFL team this offseason, signing with the New York Giants after one season as the starting quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
His debut start for the Giants did not exactly go as planned on Sunday, and his coach did not exactly commit to sticking with him as their starting quarterback going forward.
However, a little less than 24 hours later, the team did have a decision on Wilson’s future.
Russell Wilson Joined Giants After Struggles
Wilson spent the first 10 seasons of his NFL career with the Seattle Seahawks, where he emerged as one of the biggest stars in the NFL, with his fame expanding into the pop and entertainment spaces thanks to his celebrity relationship with Ciara.
The past few seasons, however, have been a bit of a rollercoaster for the former Super Bowl champion. Wilson was traded to the Denver Broncos before the 2022 season. After two disappointing seasons with the Broncos, he was unceremoniously released from the team despite his expensive contract and eventually signed with the Steelers.
Though Wilson did win the starting quarterback job over Justin Fields and did help lead the team to the playoffs, he struggled down the stretch and ultimately did not return to the team this season, signing with the Giants instead.
Wilson Struggles Against Commanders
Wilson’s debut with the Giants did not exactly go the way that he or the team would have hoped on Sunday afternoon, as he went just 17-of-37 for 168 yards in a 21-6 loss to the division rival Washington Commanders, struggling to move the ball down the field and score points.
After the game, Giants head coach Brian Daboll was asked about Wilson’s performance and the possibility that he could be benched in favor of rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart. Daboll was not willing to commit to anything.
“We’re just right here after the game,” Daboll said, via SNY. “I got confidence in Russell. We gotta do better around overall — coaches, players, around everybody. . . . We’re gonna go back, we’ll evaluate the tape. This game isn’t on Russell Wilson. I want to make that clear.”
He certainly stopped short of committing to Wilson as the team’s starting quarterback next week.
Giants Announce Decision on Wilson
While Daboll was not willing to make any firm declarations immediately after the game, he did announce on Monday afternoon that Wilson would remain the team’s starting quarterback.
“After a game — it’s an emotional game, it was a tough game, we didn’t play particularly well, I would say, collectively,” Daboll said, via SNY. “But in terms of making any of those decisions — really, at any position or schematic changes, I’d like to do it with a clear head. Watch the tape and, again, like I said yesterday, that game doesn’t fall on Russell Wilson.
“We’ve got to do a better job collectively — coaching, playing. But Russ will be the starter.”
Of course, this doesn’t rule out the possibility that Dart could take over for Wilson at some point this season. For now, however, it’s clear that Wilson will be the team’s starter.
