Who Ought to Commerce for Russell Wilson? Quick Checklist Begins With Bengals

Russell Wilson, benched by the Giants in favor of rookie Jaxson Dart after only three games, should be traded.

New York should focus on seeing what Dart can do, and if he gets injured, it has Jameis Winston as a veteran backup who could still give them a chance to win, reasonably close to what Wilson would at least.

He’s a remarkably cheap quarterback to acquire — the Giants gave him a $10.5 million deal that included an $8 million bonus, so his base salary is only $2 million, easy for just about any team in the league to add and stay under the salary cap.

A new team would be Wilson’s fourth team in less than two years — Broncos, Steelers, Giants and whoever’s next — and he turns 37 in November, but Wilson had 42 touchdowns and 13 interceptions over the last two seasons. Just two weeks ago, he threw for 450 yards and three touchdowns in an overtime loss to the Cowboys.

We’ll run through the logical options for him, but there’s really one team at the top of the list.

Cincinnati has all the things you’d want for a potential Wilson suitor: A new and legitimate need for an upgrade at quarterback, talented receivers to throw to and a team that feels they should be able to contend for a playoff berth. Joe Burrow is out for at least three months with a toe injury, and Jake Browning has thrown five interceptions in two games since taking over. If the playoffs started today, Cincinnati would be in the field, so there’s an obligation to do something to make sure Burrow’s injury doesn’t derail their season.

Wilson doesn’t have any strong ties to the Bengals, but it’s probably the best combination of a team needing his help and having a roster talented enough to make him think he could get back in the playoffs. He is 1-4 in the playoffs in the last eight years, and a chance to improve on that should be important to him and something that puts Cincinnati ahead of most potential matches.

Bengals backup quarterback Jake Browning has thrown five interceptions since filling in for an injured Joe Burrow. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)

What would it cost? It’s a third-day draft pick at most, perhaps a 2026 fifth-rounder, and the Giants get to simplify their quarterback room and have less distraction for Dart in an already difficult situation — with each loss, there will be more speculation about Brian Daboll and his future.

Cincinnati actually plays at Denver this weekend — if you can get Russ on a plane today, that’s a fun storyline — and then it has a nasty back-to-back, hosting Detroit before going to Green Bay. Cincinnati’s defense is going to give up a lot of points in those two, but in theory, you’d have Wilson settled and comfortable by Week 7, when they host … another ex of his in the Steelers.

Browning has the second-worst passer rating in the league, so he needs to play well against the Broncos, who only have one interception in their 1-2 start. Lead the Bengals to a solid road win, and he’ll put some of this trade speculation to rest. But another loss, and especially another multi-interception loss, and public sentiment will shift to Cincinnati needing to make a move. Wilson is cheaper than Kirk Cousins and has played better of late. So wait until Monday, but if that doesn’t go well, then maybe pick up the phone?

They’re coming off a 30-0 win over the Falcons, so it doesn’t exactly scream “trade for an aging quarterback.” Here’s the thing, though: Panthers coach Dave Canales knows Wilson extremely well. They were together in Seattle for 10 seasons, and he was Wilson’s quarterbacks coach in 2018-19 and his passing game coordinator in 2020-21.

So as much as anything, this is a chance for the Panthers to step back and ask: Is Bryce Young their guy? Huge win against the Falcons, but Young threw for 121 yards and had a rushing touchdown. They didn’t win because of him. In three games, he has four touchdowns and three interceptions, and that’s the best first three games of his three-year career. He got benched last year, so it’s not like they aren’t considering it. And Carolina will have to decide on Young’s fifth-year option next spring, so it’s a pivotal next few months as they decide if he’s the future of the franchise or not.

Panthers head coach Dave Canales coached Russell Wilson during his tenure with the Seahawks. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

If he isn’t, Wilson gives you a better chance to win than backup Andy Dalton, who would be another low-cost and familiar option for the Bengals, honestly. He’d come fairly cheap, and short of going to Las Vegas, wouldn’t have a situation with more key faces he knows well. General manager Dan Morgan was in Seattle when they drafted Wilson, and won a Super Bowl with him, as did Canales.

If Wilson really wanted to go to a contender, he wouldn’t have signed with the Giants in the first place, right? This makes sense from a “he’s better than any of their current QBs” standpoint, but I’m not sure why the Saints would do it. They’re 0-9 now with Spencer Rattler as their starter, and they used a second-round pick on Tyler Shough, who’s only thrown two passes in their 0-3 start.

Spencer Rattler has lost his first nine starts as the Saints’ starting quarterback. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

So why would you bury a high draft pick behind a veteran quarterback whose best scenario would just be making you pick later at the top of the 2026 draft? If Kellen Moore really wanted to win now, sure, Wilson helps that, but this is a franchise that really should be developing an answer at quarterback longterm, and that can include losing enough to give them a high pick in next year’s somewhat meh class of passers. I don’t see it happening, but the Saints don’t always do what makes the most sense, either.

4. Anyone else

For any other teams to make sense, what are seen as short-term injury concerns — J.J. McCarthy with the Vikings or Justin Fields with the Jets — would have to be much worse. We don’t know how Carson Wentz would fare as a longterm replacement in Minnesota, nor Tyrod Taylor in New York, but both teams made big enough investments in their intended starters that they’ll try to get them back on the field as soon as they’re healthy.

The Giants don’t have to do anything with Wilson immediately. He can sit on the bench and watch as Dart takes over. Tuesday marks six weeks until the NFL trade deadline (Nov. 4) and it’s reasonable to think another contender could lose a starting quarterback to a significant injury and create a trade partner with an urgency that isn’t there right now for anyone but Cincinnati. That’s probably the best course of action, waiting to see if any other teams create a need to upgrade at quarterback and the demand that comes with that.

Greg Auman is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports. He previously spent a decade covering the Buccaneers for the Tampa Bay Times and The Athletic. You can follow him on Twitter at @gregauman.

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