Russell Wilson is scheduled to visit the Giants in person for a second straight offseason. But he’s flying to Cleveland to speak with the Browns first.
Wilson, 36, who helped the Pittsburgh Steelers return to the playoffs in 2024, is visiting the Browns in person on Thursday. Then he’s scheduled to fly to the New York area Thursday night to visit the Giants on Friday, according to ESPN.
Aaron Rodgers is still deliberating on where to sign after being officially released by the Jets on Wednesday.
The Giants and Steelers are considered Rodgers’ top two options, and both teams are waiting to hear the four-time MVP’s decision. The Vikings also lurk as a dark horse candidate in the sweepstakes for Rodgers, 41.
Wilson’s planned visits — and Pittsburgh’s decision to let him hit free agency after Justin Fields’ Jets signing — seem to indicate that both the Steelers and Wilson consider his time in the Steel City to be up.
Some league sources believe that the Cleveland Browns will land Kirk Cousins if and when Atlanta releases or trades him, but the Falcons so far have shown no interest in letting Cousins go.
Wilson to the Giants has always felt like the most logical fit in Joe Schoen’s search for a veteran starter and bridge QB to the expected incoming rookie.
The 10-time Pro Bowler and former Super Bowl champion visited the Giants in person last spring at the start of free agency. But the Giants couldn’t guarantee him the starting job with Daniel Jones still under contract, so he signed with the Steelers instead.
There, Wilson started the season on the inactive list with a calf injury. But then he replaced Fields in Week 7 with Pittsburgh’s record at 4-2, and he went 6-5 in the regular season before a 28-14 Wild Card loss to Baltimore.
Rodgers’ time with the Jets went terribly.
He tore his left Achilles in his Jets debut during their 2023 season opener. Then the team went 5-12 last season with Rodgers back at the helm, and everyone in the building got fired.
Still, Rodgers’ talent and late season production (albeit mostly in losses) are attractive to these teams.
Which team will he choose? It depends. There are pros and cons to every destination.
Giants: There is nowhere to go but up for the Giants after a 3-14 season, so the bar for expectations for Rodgers to improve the team’s outlook would be low. Malik Nabers is an exciting wide receiver. Brian Daboll would not present a threat to Rodgers’ desire for control of the offense. And Rodgers already owns a house nearby in Cedar Grove, N.J.
On the other hand, Rodgers would risk finishing his career by watching both New York football franchises fire their entire operations on his watch within a two-year span. The offensive line isn’t solid enough to protect him at this age, and he would be joining the second-lowest scoring team in the league.
Steelers: Mike Tomlin coached Ben Roethlisberger to success, so he can handle Rodgers. Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith’s success with Fields and Wilson last season was impressive. Plus, Smith was considered a strong candidate behind new Jets coach Aaron Glenn in the recent search. The Steelers also boast a top 10 defense and acquired wide receiver D.K. Metcalf in a big trade with the Seahawks.
At the same time, Pittsburgh’s run game and offensive line need improvement to support a veteran QB like Rodgers in the pocket. And Rodgers would be renting in the Steel City, where he does not own property.
Vikings: This is the best team of the three by far, including Kevin O’Connell’s prowess as a play-caller and quarterback whisperer. The problem is that Minnesota already has J.J. McCarthy in place as their future franchise QB. And it would make no sense for Rodgers or the Vikings to sign him just to play a handful of games and pass off the starting role midseason to a rookie.
Retirement: Rodgers said “I think so, yeah” when asked in November if he still planned to play in 2025. And all indications are he still intends to do so, specifically his outreach to the Giants and Steelers. Rodgers’ unpredictable and unique nature, however, means that everything is on the table. And every minute that passes increases the uncertainty about just which direction he’ll go.