Giants' Russell Wilson is drawing praise from teammates and coaches, but his in-season production is all that matters
There’s been no shortage of praise surrounding Russell Wilson’s arrival and his subsequent impact on teammates. Giants players and coaches have admired his leadership skills and how he’s built instant connections.
Yet those intangibles only go so far. Wilson wasn’t signed just for his professionalism — it was to help win games. All the feel-good energy won’t matter if the latter doesn’t happen.
Wilson doesn’t feel like there’s pressure to show he’s still got something. He believes he does, but what matters is showing it and inspiring his teammates to believe — not just in him, but in their common goal to win.
“I think you’re always just trying to prove yourself right,” Wilson said Tuesday after the Giants started their two-day mandatory minicamp. “I know what I’m capable of every day. I never lack confidence.”
Wilson reached his 10th Pro Bowl after last season with the Steelers when his 7.4 yards per attempt were tied for a respectable 14th. But it was the fourth-lowest mark of his career and came after a career-low 6.9 in 2023.
That’s still better than the Giants’ quarterbacks, who had the second-worst yards per attempt number in the league last season (6.0). That should improve with Wilson, but how effective can he be at 36 years old entering his 14th season?
The Giants believe he’ll be very effective. Just ask quarterbacks coach Shea Tierney, who’s known Wilson since both attended North Carolina State.
“I see a guy who is still really accurate with the football. He still makes really good decisions,” Tierney said Tuesday. “This is going back to when he was a freshman at N.C. State, but he’s one of the great deep ball throwers that there have been. None of that stuff has changed. It’s all been pretty consistent over his career.
“Sometimes in this game things don’t bounce your way or go the way you want them to. You just have to be resilient with that and that’s the biggest thing Russ has done.”
Fellow quarterback Jameis Winston noted Wilson is still athletic and “aging like fine wine.” That was evident when Wilson showed great touch on an over-the-shoulder touchdown pass to Theo Johnson Tuesday.
The Giants will need more of that come September. But Wilson isn’t worried because he’s seen the team improve every day. That gives him hope that the work so far, and his play, can translate into more success in training camp, and eventually games.
“Throughout that process, the thing that you’re seeking is trying to be your best and our best every day,” Wilson said. “And I think that we’re demonstrating that, and we’ve got to continue to do that.”
Thibodeaux wants record
Kayvon Thibodeaux had his fifth-year option picked up in April but little has changed for the former first-round pick. His standards remain high, and that includes seeing himself as a double-digit sack guy.
Thibodeaux’s production fell from 11.5 sacks in 2023 to only 5.5 in 12 games last season. Now that he’s healthy, he wants to pursue his goal of Michael Strahan’s NFL single-season sack record of 22.5.
“Every time I come out on the field, I want to have more sacks [and] more tackles than I ever had,” Thibodeaux said. “Whatever I got to do to help the team. So yeah, I’m still going for the record.”
Reaching that goal means improving on finishing plays.
The plan is easier with job security through 2026. But Thibodeaux wasn’t worried about that.
“I can only control the now,” Thibodeaux said. “I got to get better pass rush and I got to get better [at] stopping the run. That’s what I’m focused on. The more I can do for the team, the better off I’ll be.”
Hyatt exits practice early
Wide receiver Jalin Hyatt was held out of team drills after appearing to injure his left leg during a position drill. Undrafted free agent Beaux Collins took most of the first-team reps and made a quick impression, catching a touchdown in Wilson’s first 7-on-7 series.
Evan Barnes covers the Giants for Newsday. He previously covered the Brooklyn Nets, Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.
