Russell Wilson has spoken emotionally about how relocating to New York has affected both his professional life and family dynamics, as he arrives at the Giants for what could be one last dance before retirement.
Penning a one-year, $10.5 million deal, the veteran quarterback is settling into life in the Big Apple as the 36-year-old is entering his fourth franchise stint.
He had brief spells with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Denver Broncos, and a nine-year tenure with the Seattle Seahawks, who he to glory in 2014.
Now, he’s navigating new terrain on and off the field with his wife, R&B star Ciara, and their children alongside him and opened up on how his arrival at the MetLife Stadium has impacted that.
“I’ve been in New York a bunch in the past,” Wilson said to reporters. “I have a lot of family that have been here and lived here and stuff like that, but we love it here.
“It’s just a great city. New York is amazing, Jersey as well,” Wilson said following his first training session with the Giants.
“Obviously for Ciara, the music culture is great too. But I think just for me, I’ve always been a fast-paced guy. I just like being occupied.”
High-profile life for the couple
The move marks a new chapter for the couple, who married in 2016 and now raise four children together. Fortunately, Ciara’s affinity for music and the cultural vibrancy of the city has made the transition especially smooth.
However, he also revealed that living in the City That Never Sleeps wasn’t due to pressure from his wife. This is a place he feels he can make a difference after experiencing the locker room.
“The number one part of it all is the game that I love,” Wilson added. “That’s the best part about it. I get to do what I love to do and these guys love doing it together and we’re spending a lot of time together.
“These moments, like this training camp, is the part where you love those bonding moments at the hotel, the bonding early in the mornings, the late at night, the extra film…
“That time that you spend together talking ball. I mean that’s the part that you forever remember.”
Is Russell Wilson the Giants’ starter for 2025/26?
The Giants’ head coach, Brian Daboll, has since confirmed that Wilson will be the team’s starting quarterback for the 2025 season ahead of their rookie prospect Jaxson Dart and their fellow veteran, Jameis Winston.
His experience and leadership appear to have won out in a crowded quarterback room as he started 11 games for the Steelers in 2024, showing glimpses of his former self but unable to cement a long-term role.
The Giants will be hoping his veteran presence can stabilize a position that has seen considerable flux in recent years since Eli Manning retired and the team entered the Daniel Jones fiasco.
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