Quarterback Russell Wilson has experienced a rough start to each of the last two seasons. But in 2024 with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Wilson received the opportunity to lead his team to the playoffs despite an injury which sidelined him for the first six weeks.

With the New York Giants this year, Wilson is out as the team’s starter after just three games.

Giants head coach Brian Daboll officially made a switch at the team’s starting quarterback role Tuesday. On Wednesday, Daboll confirmed the Giants will start rookie Jaxson Dart for the remainder of the 2025 season.

Barring an injury to Dart, Wilson will not start for the Giants again.

That’s not only bad news for Wilson but also for the Steelers.

“Just a couple weeks ago, compensatory formula expert Nick Korte noted that the Steelers were trending toward the best-case scenario,” Steelers Depot’s Matthew Marczi wrote. “Obviously, Russell Wilson’s benching alters the equation, potentially considerably.

“Under the best-case scenario, with incentives, Wilson could earn the Steelers a fourth-round compensatory pick. But if he’s done playing for the season, the compensation could drop to a sixth-round level.”

How Russell Wilson’s Benching Impacts Steelers

It’s not 100% clear how Wilson losing his job with the Giants will affect the Steelers. But it’s going to have some type of impact.

The NFL determines its compensatory picks with a secret formula using unrestricted free agents who depart teams. The formula considers player’s salary but also playing time.

Wilson signed a one-year, $10.5 million deal to join the Giants. Through three games, the veteran quarterback has played 97% of New York’s offensive snaps this season. However, if he doesn’t play again in 2025, Wilson will finish the year with just 195 snaps overall.

Last season, the 36-year-old set a new career low with 719 offensive snaps. Wilson missed the first six games with Pittsburgh last year because of a calf injury.

Still Hope for Steelers With NFL Compensatory Picks

The Giants benching Wilson is a major blow for the Steelers maximizing their future compensatory selections. However, it’s not all bad news for the team on that front.

“The good news, though, is Justin Fields’ compensation is trending toward rising from a fourth-round level to a third-round level,” Marczi wrote. “If he keeps his job all season, Pittsburgh could have two third-round compensatory picks.”

However, the Steelers maximizing their compensatory selection with Justin Fields is based on him getting back on the field soon. Fields missed Week 3 because of a concussion.

Wilson could also get back on the field in another way other than a Dart injury. CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones suggested the Giants could try and trade Wilson to a quarterback-needy team.

“His immediate future with Big Blue is unclear, though he could be a trade piece for a quarterback-needy team ahead of the Nov. 4 trade deadline,” wrote Jones on Tuesday.

It’s possible Wilson could land back in the AFC North with the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals entered the season as a playoff contender, but they will be without Joe Burrow for three months.

That’s potentially not the ideal landing spot for the Steelers. The Steelers are expected to face the Bengals twice without Burrow this season. If Wilson plays well for the Bengals, the Steelers will also have tougher competition in the division.

But if a team such as Cincinnati acquires Wilson, then the Steelers would be in line for a better compensatory selection.