The Giants handed Brian Daboll a Russell Wilson reclamation project. High risk, high character, and possibly high maintenance. And now, instead of setting the vision for a new era, Daboll is spending the offseason backpedaling through film, studying what Wilson still does well. And publicly defending a move that feels more like front office desperation than coaching conviction. “He makes good decisions with the football…phenomenal deep ball thrower,” Daboll told reporters at the league meetings in April, listing every positive trait he could find.

The problem is, Daboll might not have wanted Wilson at all. New York had already signed Jameis Winston to be the bridge. They had their rookie, Jaxson Dart, lined up as the future. Yet somewhere along the line, the Giants talked themselves into signing Russell Wilson. And now Daboll is left holding the bill.

Despite the feel-good offseason headlines, Bleacher Report slammed the brakes on the Russell Redemption Tour. In their list ‘Predicting Every NFL Team’s Biggest Bust of the 2025 Season,’ they put a giant target on Wilson’s back – and by extension, on Daboll’s entire quarterback setup. The piece didn’t hold back: Wilson wasn’t just a gamble. He was a mistake the Giants made in a vacuum, a $10.5 million dice roll against themselves. “The New York Giants’ decision to sign Russell Wilson to a one-year, $10.5 million contract this offseason was curious…It felt like the Giants were bidding against themselves to land the 36-year-old, and they’re unlikely to get a strong return on investment,” the report said. And here’s the kicker: Daboll now has to try to make it work.

Because the Giants weren’t just buying a QB. They were bidding on a player who wasn’t wanted. “There didn’t seem to be a lot of interest in Wilson this offseason.” Nobody was chasing Wilson in the open market. Not after that Steelers flameout. Not after another back-half fade. “The Giants had already landed a bridge QB when they added Jameis Winston on a two-year deal.” The Giants, B/R argues, essentially paid a premium for a placeholder and a questionable one at that. And Daboll even tried to justify it. “Where that goes from here, we’ve got to get together and put together something that’s good for everybody,” Daboll said.

But, the logic behind the report? If Wilson starts Week 1, expectations for a turnaround are sky high. But if he flops – and he’s already shown signs of it – he’ll crush Big Blue’s already-thin playoff hopes. And honestly, even Daboll – while trying to paint Wilson in the best possible light – couldn’t ignore the elephant in the room: he’s not 2013 Russ anymore. Not even close.

Wilson’s escape ability made him elite a decade ago. Now, he’s 36. The legs don’t win the edge like they used to. The deep ball’s still there, but the windows are tighter. And the margin for error is smaller. Yes, he can still make explosive plays. But he’s also had back-to-back seasons where those flashes came too little, too late. And let’s be honest: if his job is to keep Jaxson Dart on ice, how long before the rookie buzz drowns him out anyway? “If Wilson even wins the starting job out of training camp, don’t expect him to make New York a playoff contender or make fans forget that Dart is waiting in the wings,” the report concluded.

Winston stays as Brian Daboll’s backup plan

When the Giants first signed Jameis Winston, it felt like a savvy, low-stakes move. A two-year, $8 million deal for a former No. 1 pick with cannon-arm upside? Fine. At worst, a decent backup. At best, trade bait. But now? The idea of shipping Winston out the door just got murky.

Dan Duggan of The Athletic pulled the emergency brake on that plan, writing that Winston “doesn’t figure to have much trade value.” Translation: The market for a 31-year-old journeyman QB who signed for peanuts isn’t exactly booming. Even worse for the Giants? Duggan says they might need him more than they think. If Wilson’s aging arm or Dart’s rookie flaws derail the season early, guess who’s back in the huddle? Yep. Winston.

Winston was originally Plan B. Maybe Plan C. But the Giants’ quarterback room is built on fragile bets. Wilson’s late-career reinvention is one. Dart’s rookie learning curve is another. And now, Winston is a critical piece of Brian Daboll’s insurance policy. If Wilson sputters, Winston becomes the stopgap. If Dart isn’t ready, Winston becomes the backup with the most NFL starts, the deepest playbook knowledge, and the best shot at actually throwing the ball. And Daboll is desperately needing to stretch the field this year. So that vertical arm might quietly be more valuable than any trade return they were hoping for.