Almost three years ago, the Denver Broncos made what many consider one of the worst trades in recent NFL history when they acquired Russell Wilson from the Seattle Seahawks. After just two seasons, the trade didn’t work out — and Denver ended up cutting him.
Now, three years later, each side will get a shot at revenge. Wilson, now the starting quarterback for the New York Giants, will face off against the team that released him following the 2023 season. Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus listed the Week 7 game between the Giants and Broncos as the third-biggest revenge game of the 2025 season.
“On the surface, this contest may not catch one’s eye. But if Russell Wilson emerges as the Giants’ starter, this will assuredly be a game to keep track of. Wilson will make his second trek back to Denver after being cut by the team during the 2024 offseason. Despite the Broncos swinging for the fences in acquiring Wilson, he produced only a 69.8 PFF passing grade across two seasons out west, leading to an unceremonious exit. While Wilson and the Steelers ventured to Empower Field last year, Justin Fields was the starter, with Wilson not playing a snap.
Wilson isn’t guaranteed to start by this point in the year for New York, considering the team has rookie first-rounder Jaxson Dart (91.9 PFF passing grade) waiting in the wings and Jameis Winston (69.9 PFF passing grade) as another option. But if the former Super Bowl champ is under center for Big Blue, you can guarantee that Wilson will try to spite his second franchise.”
After Denver cut Wilson and absorbed a massive dead cap hit from the five-year, $242.5 million deal they gave him post-trade, Wilson signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers and managed to resurrect his career, leading them to the postseason.
Before that, Wilson had actually met with the Giants, but because the team was still tied to Daniel Jones' albatross contract, New York passed. Wilson went to Pittsburgh instead, and the G-Men later regretted it, as Jones was released before Thanksgiving.
A year later, the Giants signed Wilson to a one-year deal to be their 2025 starter. Wilson will look to have the same kind of success in New York as he did in Pittsburgh — especially after going 6-5 in 11 starts and getting the Steelers to the AFC Wild Card Round.
Wilson’s potential revenge would be coming back to Denver and beating his old team in their building — the same team that chose to eat all that dead money and drafted Bo Nix to replace him. Big Blue, of course, has their own rookie first-rounder in Jaxson Dart, but he’s expected to sit and learn behind Wilson this season. If Dart ends up playing in that Week 7 game, it probably means things haven’t gone well for Wilson or the Giants.
Knowing Wilson, though, while beating his old team would feel good, the ultimate revenge would be leading another team back to the postseason just like he did in 2024.
