The 2025 NFL season remains “open for business” to 8 of the 32 teams today; the other 24 teams are probably using their time strategizing for free agency and then the Draft and ultimately the 2026 season. To my mind, the NY Giants’ situation stands out from the rest of the league.
- Many of the “idle” teams this morning are looking for “their QB”. The Giants seem to be in fine shape there with Jaxson Dart.
- Reports this morning say that the Giants and John Harbaugh’s agent are finalizing an agreement for Harbaugh to coach the Giants. Check that box.
- And then, on the negative side, there is this headline from msn.com:
- “Russell Wilson leaves Giants cruel parting gift with NFL investigation expected over comments”
Say what? Russell Wilson’s contract with the Giants was a 1-year deal; so the “parting gift” is not something related to a cap hit when the team released him and even if there were some unusual clauses in that contract, how might that involve an NFL investigation?
Here’s the deal. On his way out the door, Wilson said that he injured his hamstring prior to the Giants’ Week 2 game against the Cowboys and that injury went unreported. If true, that is an NFL no-no. Also, if true, other QBs around the league might be looking to injure their hamstrings before games because Russell Wilson threw for 450 yards and 3 TDs against the Cowboys in Week 2. The Giants lost that game 40-37, but it would be difficult to pin the blame on Wilson for that outcome.
Here is what Wilson said to reporters:
“You know, I played that [Week 2] game, you know, I tore my hamstring on Friday in practice — the last play of practice. And I had a grade two [tear]. I couldn’t tell anybody. I had to go and play on it just because I knew the circumstance, I had to play on it, no matter what. I actually ended up going to the Dallas Mavericks’ facility, training.”
The NFL has long been diligent in reporting the injury status of players; that practice has taken on even more importance with the explosion of legal sports wagering and things like “player prop bets” proliferating. That statement cannot have fallen on deaf ears in the NFL Front Office; the Giants need that sort of scrutiny like I need a third nostril.
And lest you think that this is merely one last grasp at publicity by Wilson, it is not. In the same session where he dropped that little item above, he also declared that he is a free agent and fully expects to be ready to play QB for an NFL team next season. Here is how he characterized his off-season plans:
“You know, and just be ready to rock and roll, and be as healthy as possible and be ready to play ball.”
As they say at the World Series of Poker, “Shuffle up, and deal …”
Moving on … Do you realize that the NBA regular season is almost half over? Teams already have played between 38 and 41 games; the regular season is 82 games in length. I have paid only the most marginal attention so far this season; I have watched only two or three games in their entirety since the season tipped off in October 2025 and have not paid full attention to some of the game snippets I have experienced so far this season. For those of you who have also paid little attention, let me bring you up to speed here:
- The Detroit Pistons have the best record in the Eastern Conference at 28-10. No, they have not cloned Isiah Thomas and Bill Lambeer.
- The Boston Celtics record is 24-15 which is surprising since most folks thought that Jaxon Tatum’s injury and other roster shuffling would make this a down year in Boston.
- The Oklahoma City Thunder started the season with a 24-1 record; they have “cooled off” since then but still have the best record in the league at 34-7.
- At the other end of the teeter-totter, the Philadelphia 76ers record for futility is all but assured; the Indiana Pacers record today is 9-32. The Sixers’ record in 1973 was 9-73, meaning the Pacers would have to lose out from here just to equal that degree of ineptitude.
Finally, here is an interesting point of view from George Burns:
“Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city.”
But don’t get me wrong, I love sports………
Russell Wilson is a lesson in how far one can fall in the NFL. I can’t wait for him to play for the Las Vegas Raiders.
TenaciousP:
The Raiders already have an aging veteran QB whose best days are behind him…
Russell has to say that. “I sucked because I was hurt. Not because I sucked.” remember the only team the Cowboys kept below 20 was the Raiders. They don’t count. Then the Jets at 22 – they hardly count.
He doesn’t want people to remember 35 of 69 for 328 yards against the Chiefs AND the Commanders, failing to score 10 in either game.
Ed:
Agree that his narrative requires him to focus on that one “great game” he had in 2025 even though it was a loss.