Could This Be the End for Russell Wilson? NFL Execs Give Their Verdict

The drop for former Super Bowl winning quarterback Russell Wilson has been precipitous in recent years, going from one of the highest-paid players in the history of the game to something of a sideshow as a back-up to now something of a forgotten man in NFL circles.

Wilson’s messy exit with the Giants last season was the latest blemish on a once-sparkling resume, and has left the veteran in the journeyman phase of his career with scant interest from teams at this point, according to multiple league sources who have been involved in the quarterback market this offseason. 

Wilson, 37, repeatedly tried to force his way out of New York last season when rookie Jaxson Dart became the face of the franchise, things got very awkward behind the scenes and it’s yet another reason why teams are treading very lightly with a player who once seemed to be on a Hall of Fame trajectory.

Multiple executives who made moves at quarterback this offseason said Wilson was not even a consideration for them, while others like Teddy Bridgewater, who has retired in the past, quickly found homes. Wilson also had a toxic exit to his time in Denver, and his declining skills, inability to seemingly grasp how far he has fallen from his peak years and great skepticism about his ability to fully grasp being a mentor-type backup has left him without a market as the draft fast approaches and even more teams with depth quarterback need the roster with young and cheap passers.

Is There A Job For Wilson?

“He’s kind of like the forgotten man, right?” said one NFL personnel executive. 

“We weren’t going to do anything with him. He’s a weird fit now. It’s over him as a starter and I don’t think he sees himself for who he really is.”

To that end, teams with first or second-year quarterbacks seem wary of how Wilson will fit in with them, and when recent first-round picks like Tua Tagovailoa and Kyler Murray were just available to their new teams at just the veteran minimum ($1.3M for 2026), and Wilson accustomed to far higher salaries, I was clear how quickly teams in need of a starrer were moving in other directions.

“I hear some people talking about Las Vegas,” another personnel exec said. “Really? He’s going to be the guy that’s the role model for (presumptive first-overall pick) Fernando Mendoza…? There isn’t a market for Russell Wilson. Just count how many other guys got job.”

Wilson said for years he wanted to play until he was pushing 50, like legendary quarterback Tom Brady. Consider me among those who has a hard time seeing Brady, now a minority owner of the Raiders, extending that dream. 

Raiders owner Mark Davis was very interested in acquiring Wilson earlier in his career, and former Raiders coach Pete Carroll was in contact with Wilson a year ago when he ended up with the Giants, but he was fired after one year.  

Wilson appeared in six games last season, starting just three, finishing with three touchdown passes and three interceptions and a career-low QB rating of 77.4.