Former Broncos $245 Million ‘Disaster’ QB Named Starter in NFC East

For a player who has dealt with so much uncertainty over the last few years of his career, the words coming from New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll just one day into training camp must have been music to quarterback Russell Wilson’s ears.

Daboll ended any and all debates about who the Giants starting quarterback was going to be on July 23 by declaring the job as Wilson’s. Not Wilson’s to lose, but his from here moving forward.

Wilson was the starting quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers while playing on a 1-year contract in 2024 and spent 2 seasons before that as the starter for the Denver Broncos.

Wilson’s time in Denver was a disaster for the franchise, by any metric, and involved a 5-year, $242.5 million contract extension that eventually saw the franchise eat $85 million in dead cap space over the 2024 and 2025 seasons after Wilson was released in March 2024.

“These (quarterbacks) will be here competing, but Russell Wilson is our starter,” Daboll said on July 23.

While most assumed Wilson would be the starter, Daboll’s declaration does add some clarity to a rather confusing depth chart that includes former No. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston, 2025 first round pick Jaxson Dart and the Giants backup for the last 2 years in Tommy DeVito.