Russell Wilson can apparently get comfortable with a backup role with the New York Jets. He’d be better off resigning so as not to further demolish his monument. A commentary.

There is an art that many superstars fail to master. They fail at it time and time again.

Timing.

Finding the right time to end your career is a fine line. To make the leap. Ideally, this happens at the peak, before things go downhill. Making the right move at the right time requires a sure instinct – and a lot of self-reflection.

However, quite a few people simply can’t let go.

Russell Wilson also failed to say goodbye in time. It’s clear: even ageing ex-superstars still get decent contracts worth millions.

Russell Wilson: past his peak

At the New York Giants in 2025, it was still 10.5 million dollars. A lot of money for a 37-year-old who passed the zenith of his career a few years ago.

It’s hardly glorious to say goodbye when you had to go to the bench after three games last season as a starter to make room for rookie Jaxson Dart.

And it’s understandable if money continues to be a big driving factor, even if Wilson has earned over 300 million dollars in his career according to Spotrac. But it seems less logical to seriously consider a spot as Geno Smith’s backup with the New York Jets.

Yes, with the Jets. As a backup. For a 35-year-old.

This might be one of the most effective ways to discredit his reputation, his standing. To piss on his monument. To further demolish it.

Russell Wilson: What can he win with the News York Jets?

Of course, Wilson should have the self-image of being better than Smith and replacing him as the starter sooner or later.

But even if he does – what then?

What can he gain with a chronically unsuccessful team that is embarking on its umpteenth rebuild because all previous attempts have failed magnificently?

The risk of embarrassing himself is many times higher than the likelihood of taking off, recapturing old glory days and leading the Jets to their first playoff appearance since 2010. That he disappears into oblivion is a possibility that cannot be dismissed.

After all, it’s no coincidence that QB2 is Wilson’s sporting reality in 2026 with the Jets. The remaining job selection is no longer a small indication, but a sign with several fences that the time is ripe for a resignation. That he is simply no longer in demand.

Russell Wilson: Better to go on the road than resign?

Wilson has to decide for himself whether a dalliance in the depths of the league and a fall into insignificance is so much better than a reasonably stylish exit with dignity. The timing is no longer ideal, but it would still demonstrate a certain greatness.

However, that is an art that many superstars have not mastered. Wilson obviously hasn’t either.

Written by Michael