Russell Wilson didn’t waste a moment embracing the New York spotlight after signing a one-year, $21 million deal with the New York Giants on March 25, 2025. Just hours after the contract was finalized, the 36-year-old quarterback was courtside at Madison Square Garden with his wife, Ciara, watching the Knicks take on the Clippers. Seated on “Celebrity Row,” Wilson got a warm welcome from the crowd, and he leaned into the moment—signing a basketball and tossing it into the stands. The Knicks shared the clip on social media.
Wilson’s accuracy has been a sore spot since his Denver Broncos tenure, where he went 11-19 over two seasons, throwing 26 touchdowns against 19 interceptions and posting a career-low 84.4 passer rating in 2023. Fans on X seized the opportunity to troll him, with one quipping, “I’m sure it didn’t go to his intended receiver,” and another joking, “Damn, already throwing picks!!!” A third chimed in, “Not the first time he threw into a crowd,” referencing his turnover struggles. The memes highlight the skepticism Wilson faces after a rocky stint in Denver, where he failed to live up to the blockbuster trade that sent him from the Seattle Seahawks in 2022, along with a five-year, $245 million extension.
Now in New York, Wilson is looking to reclaim his Super Bowl-winning form from his Seattle days, where he led the Seahawks to a title in 2013 and earned nine Pro Bowl nods. At his introductory press conference, he exuded confidence, saying, “I expect to be the starter and to be able to come here and rock and roll every day. This team’s looking for somebody to lead them in every way.” But the Giants’ quarterback room is crowded—Jameis Winston and Tommy DeVito are also in the mix, and the team holds the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, where they’re rumored to target a quarterback like Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders. Wilson’s role as the long-term starter is far from guaranteed, especially after the Giants’ 6-11 finish in 2024 and the release of Daniel Jones.
The MSG moment was a fun introduction to New York, but it also underscores the pressure Wilson faces. Giants fans, hungry for a playoff return after missing out since 2022, will be watching closely when he takes the field. In 2024 with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Wilson showed flashes of his old self, throwing for 2,146 yards, 13 touchdowns, and seven interceptions in 10 starts, but his 5.9% sack rate and 6.9 yards per attempt were career lows, per Pro Football Reference. If he can’t improve his accuracy and decision-making, the online jabs might only get sharper. For now, Wilson’s soaking in the New York welcome—but the real test comes when training camp opens this summer, and he’ll need to prove he can lead the Giants without fueling more memes.
