The New York Giants, looking to add both talent and experience to their broken quarterback room this offseason, rolled the dice on two veterans, Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston, and then made a splash on the first night of the draft by trading up for Jaxson Dart.
The maneuvers might just pay off.
Wilson, a 10-time Pro Bowl selection and former Super Bowl champion, was inked to a one-year, incentive-laden deal that could pay him up to $21 million this year. It’s being seen by many as a stopgap measure by Big Blue while they get Dart ramped up to take over.
The 36-year-old Wilson doesn’t see it that way. He believes this could be the beginning of a new and prosperous stage of his career. He’s not looking to do a hit-and-run in New York, a place where he and his pop star wife, Ciara, have wanted to be for some time.
“Honestly, I feel like I’m 25 years old all over again,” Wilson told Conor Orr of Sports Illustrated. “And I think part of that is just physically I feel great. Mentally, I feel amazing in terms of, it’s possible. You know what I mean? And I think ultimately, a big part of it is the people you’re around, the players, the coaching staff, the mentality of the guys. And then being in the city. The energy of it is for people that like to be fast-paced, which is me.”
Retired New York Knicks superstar Carmelo Anthony also believes The Big Apple could help reestablish Wilson.
“Me and Carmelo were talking about this,” Wilson said. “He’s like, ‘Man, this is the perfect place for you to reestablish and have everybody realize who Russell Wilson really is, by not just how you play on the field, but what you do, the community, and different things that you’re able to impact.’
“And people, it doesn’t get any bigger than New York City.”.
Wilson has already made his presence known at the Giants’ facility, with his new teammates and around the New York Metropolitan Area. He has the look of a man who intends to stay. If he performs well, he just might force the Giants’ hand.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Carmelo Anthony believes Russell Wilson could reestablish himself with Giants
Reporting by John Fennelly, Giants Wire / Giants Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
