Russell Wilson got a head start on bonding with his new New York Giants teammates the last few weeks during some casual workouts in the sun and warmth of San Diego and Atlanta.
The veteran quarterback threw passes to several of his wide receivers and tight ends during the day and shared stories and traded jokes during dinner at night.
“Spending time when there’s nobody watching, those moments, those relationships, going to dinner, talking, chopping it up, that team bonding is everything,” Wilson said during a Zoom call Monday. “It just clicks on the field that way. I think it just makes everything smooth and transition well.”
And now, the real work has started — at the Giants’ facility.
Wilson and his teammates reported Monday for the start of offseason workouts, where coach Brian Daboll addressed the entire team and introduced new players. Wilson is one, of course. And so is fellow quarterback Jameis Winston, both of whom Daboll had speak to the offense at the team’s first official gathering.
Daboll, whose Giants are coming off a dismal 3-14 season and pick No. 3 overall on the first night of the NFL draft Thursday, wanted Wilson and Winston to talk about their journeys and what’s important to them in football.
“It’s really early in the process, but they understand what leadership is,” Daboll said. “They’ve done it in a number of places. I expect them to do that here.”
Wilson acknowledged as much last month shortly after he signed a one-year deal with New York worth up to $21 million with $10.5 million guaranteed. The Giants are his fourth team in five years, but the 36-year-old has the type of experience and leadership the franchise has sorely needed.
“I’m excited to be with these guys,” Wilson said. “I’m excited to have the opportunity to play and be a New York Giant. What an opportunity it is. We can make it really special.
“I think we have the right guys, with a lot of hard work. Guys that are focused on the details of it all.”
Wilson, a 10-time Pro Bowl selection with a Super Bowl ring from his tenure in Seattle, helped Pittsburgh make the playoffs last season, when he threw for 2,482 yards with 16 touchdown passes and five interceptions and a 96.5 passer rating. But the Steelers lost five in a row at the end of the season after starting 6-1 with him. And Pittsburgh then lost in the wild-card round to Baltimore.
The Steelers allowed Wilson to become a free agent and he ended up coming to a Giants team that appears at a crossroad. Both Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen are on the hot seat and co-owner John Mara made it clear after the season that he expects marked improvement all around.
Wilson’s presence has been a good start.
“You know, the little bit that we’ve worked together, I think he’s going to be not only great for our offense, but for our team,” said tight end Theo Johnson, who attended some of the player-led workouts with Wilson as he recovers from a foot injury that cut short his rookie season.
“Just the energy and the enthusiasm he brings every day with everything that he does and just the leadership he’s going to bring and the experience,” Johnson added, “I think it’s going to be super valuable for our offense.”
Wilson is also embracing life in the New York area, finding his way to Madison Square Garden along with wife Ciara to watch the Knicks defeat the Detroit Pistons 123-112 in Game 1 of their playoff series Saturday night.
“That game the other night was special,” said Wilson, who knows Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and a few other Knicks players. “The fourth quarter was really remarkable and how they came back. I think they went on a 21-0 run. What an electric crowd that was.”
It’s the type of energy Wilson could induce at MetLife Stadium this season if he can help the Giants turn things around.
“I think it’s a great opportunity to really do well and for us all to just shine,” Wilson said. “We’ve got to work for it, though. There’s no magic pill besides the work. We have to put the work in. You’ve got to love it. You’ve got to have that attention to detail, and we’re excited about that opportunity to do that.”
Want more Broncos news? Sign up for the Broncos Insider to get all our NFL analysis.