Russell Wilson’s season with the Giants lasted about three weeks before Jaxson Dart took over the starting job. While Wilson heads into free agency this March searching for what would be his fourth NFL home in four years, he’s made clear this week that football is not the only thing he is building.

“Excited to be launching the @hqhotels together globally,” Wilson recently wrote on his Instagram story. 

Wilson reposted a photo alongside SBE Entertainment Group founder and CEO Sam Nazarian. The picture was originally shared by Nazarian, who had written, “With my brother & partner in HQ hotels @dangerwilson.”

The post was a reminder of something formally set in motion over a year ago. In January 2025, Nazarian and HQ Hotels & Residences officially named Wilson and his wife, Ciara, as strategic partners and advisory board members of the brand.

The announcement came alongside the signing of HQ’s first hotel property in Antigua and a separate deal for a location in São Paulo, as the company moved to build out an ambitious global footprint targeting 50 hotels across 30 countries by 2030. When the deal finalized, Nazarian pointed out the reasons for it.

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“I am blessed to be partnering with my long-time friends Russell Wilson and Ciara as we continue to bring HQ to life around the world. Both are renowned in their career fields and will bring unique insights through their entrepreneurial prowess and spheres of influence,” Nazarian said back then. 

The announcement comes as a new update in Wilson’s career as an advisor, planting roots in the hospitality world well before his next NFL contract is signed. HQ Hotels & Residences is Nazarian’s re-entry into the hotel industry after he sold the remaining 50% stake of SBE’s hotel platform to Accor Hotels in 2020 for an $850 million cash and asset swap. 

In 2023, Nazarian relaunched into the hotel industry under the HQ Hotels & Residences banner. It is a strategic alliance with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. Nazarian’s track record in this space is substantial.

Under SBE, he built out SLS Hotels, Hyde Lounge and Mondrian Hotels before the Accor sale. Wilson is now a global launch partner on that venture, adding a hospitality portfolio to his investments.

For Wilson, the timing also makes sense. He turns 38 in November and has absorbed three consecutive seasons of organizational instability across Pittsburgh and New York. Still, the quarterback has a lot left in the tank. 

Russell Wilson switches agents and insists he still has more to give

The business announcement came as Wilson’s football future remains genuinely unsettled. He switched agents in January. He departed from Mark Rodgers, an agent who had represented him since he entered the league.

Now, Wilson is represented by the famous Athletes First superagent David Mulugheta. Mulugheta’s client roster includes C.J. Stroud, Justin Fields, Deshaun Watson, and George Pickens. His involvement signals that Wilson is serious about securing a legitimate market.

But for Wilson, securing a new destination could be tricky after perhaps the worst season of his career. He finished the season with just 69 completions for 831 yards and three touchdowns (all career lows). Still, the quarterback is not ready to accept this as his final chapter.

“Yeah, I’m not blinking,” Wilson said on January 5. “I know what I’m capable of. I think I showed that in Dallas, I want to do that again and just be ready to rock and roll and be as healthy as possible and be able to play ball.”

In the Dallas game, Wilson completed 30 of 41 passes for 450 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception in Week 2. That performance briefly made it look like the old Russell Wilson was back.

What further accelerated the impact of that performance was what Wilson revealed after the season. 

“I played that [Week 2] game, I tore my hamstring on Friday in practice, the last play of practice. And I had a grade two [tear]. I couldn’t tell anybody, I had to go and play on it just because I knew the circumstance, I had to play on it, no matter what,” Wilson revealed then. 

Those comments carried consequences beyond the locker room. It was reported that Wilson’s admission could lead to the NFL opening an investigation. It was reported that Wilson’s admission could lead to the NFL opening an investigation, as it was a potential violation of the league’s injury reporting policy. The Giants faced scrutiny over whether the organization knew more than it let on.

That said, Wilson is onto the next chapter. The veteran quarterback wants to play a few more years, and he has made no secret of it. On and off the field, he is not slowing down.