Win or lose, Russell Wilson is about to make history for the Giants
Giants quarterback Russell Wilson looks to throw a pass during the first quarter of a preseason game against the Bills at Highmark Stadium on Aug. 09, 2025 in Orchard Park. Credit: Getty Images/Bryan M. Bennett
Russell Wilson brought hope to the Giants when they signed him in March — the hope that after two poor offensive seasons, the team had found a quarterback who's more than competent.
He’s also bringing history. When he takes the field Sunday against the Commanders, Wilson will be the first Black quarterback to start a season opener for the Giants in their 101-year history.
The Giants, founded in 1925, were the final franchise to start a Black quarterback, as Geno Smith replaced Eli Manning for one game in 2017. Six years later, Tyrod Taylor started five games after Daniel Jones was injured.
“The game has changed a lot,” Wilson said. “When I think about when I came in 2012, there wasn’t many Black starting quarterbacks. Cam Newton had a heck of a year his rookie year [in 2011]. Robert Griffin III was the same year as me and he had a great rookie year.”
In Wilson’s first season, he was one of six Black quarterbacks to start more than half of their team’s games. Entering this season, an NFL-record 16 Black quarterbacks will open the season as their team’s starters.
Four are in the NFC East, the first time in NFL history that all of the quarterbacks in a division are Black. Wilson and Jayden Daniels will meet Sunday after Jalen Hurts faced Dak Prescott in the Cowboys-Eagles season opener Thursday.
Former Washington quarterback Doug Williams called it a beautiful thing. While much has changed since Wilson’s first season, even more has changed since 1978, when Williams became the first Black quarterback to be taken in the first round of an NFL Draft.
It’s no longer a big deal, Williams said, when teams draft or start a Black quarterback or when two face off. Wilson is facing three to start the season with Daniels, Prescott and Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes.
“If you got the ability, no matter where you are, who you play for, you get a chance to play,” said Williams, 70, a Commanders senior adviser. “I think that's one of the barriers that have been knocked down. It's about giving the opportunity, and no doubt that all those guys were chosen to play because of their ability, not because of the color of their skin.”
It’s even more meaningful that it’s happening on the Giants. According to Jack M, Silverstein, a sports historian in Chicago, the total of six games in which the Giants have started a Black quarterback is the lowest among the current 32 franchises.
The Jets, by comparison, are 28th with 46 such games, and Justin Fields will be the sixth Black quarterback to start a game for that franchise.
The old perceptions of Black quarterbacks lacking skill or leadership no longer are prevalent. The last three years, a Black quarterback has been drafted No. 1 overall.
Williams helped change that in January 1988 as the first Black quarterback to start and win a Super Bowl. He was MVP of Washington's 42-10 win over Denver and John Elway after throwing for four touchdowns (all in the second quarter) and 340 yards.
Wilson became the second in 2014 with the Seahawks while also overcoming the stereotype that quarterbacks under 6 feet tall could not be successful
Entering his 14th season, Wilson is facing more questions about his talent after his last three subpar seasons, but Williams said the fact that he's starting is a credit to his ability to play even at 36 years old.
“You got to take your hat off to Russell still being around and still doing it,” said Williams, who also called Wilson the grandpa of this generation of Black quarterbacks. “He might not be the Houdini he was when he first came in there, but he still is Houdini enough to play the game.”
Sunday will be Wilson's 200th start. Among Black quarterbacks, only Warren Moon has more starts, 203 over 17 seasons. Wilson could eclipse that mark in Week 5 at New Orleans.
For Wilson, being able to play this long is about maintaining a daily vision to reach a bigger goal and appreciating his teammates as much as success.
“God's blessed me with a lot of talent,” he said. “I have a lot of great people around me to push me and challenge me. I love that every day. Just to do it with these guys, man, it makes it fun.”
Yet how long Wilson plays this season depends on the Giants’ success. Rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart had a strong preseason and is waiting in the wings as a reminder of the team’s future plans.
For now, it’s Wilson’s team. Sunday isn’t just about the team finally opening the season with a Black quarterback. It’s about starting a new era and hoping Wilson can elevate the Giants.
At the same time, he’s mindful of carrying on the tradition of Black quarterbacks and how the game is changing for the better.
“Sixteen Black starting quarterbacks, that's a big deal,” Wilson said. “It's just showing that the game's evolving, the league is evolving, and we need to continue that. But if you can play, you can play.”
FOR STARTERS
A record 16 Black quarterbacks are starting for NFL teams this season:
Quarterback Team
Jayden Daniels Commanders
Justin Fields Jets
Jalen Hurts Eagles
Lamar Jackson Ravens
Jordan Love Packers
Patrick Mahomes Kansas City
Kyler Murray Cardinals
Michael Penix Jr. Falcons
Dak Prescott Cowboys
Spencer Rattler Saints
Geno Smith Raiders
C.J. Stroud Texans
Cam Ward Titans
Caleb Williams Bears
Russell Wilson Giants
Bryce Young Panthers