Russell Wilson’s New York Giants nightmare has reached a new low in recent weeks, even after being demoted to the team’s third-choice quarterback.

With Jameis Winston deputizing for Jaxson Dart, who has been in concussion protocol for the past two Giants games, Wilson has been left with one role to play each game for the team – heading out for the coin toss.

The 36-year-old Wilson is a Giants team captain, a role he was voted into by his teammates before the season began, meaning he has headed out for the coin toss the past couple games.

But on Sunday, when the Giants were headed into overtime against the Detroit Lions, Wilson’s latest role received a new wave of scrutiny given that he headed out for the toss with his helmet.

‘Russell Wilson not playing a single snap but having his helmet on for the OT coin toss is the epitome of Russell Wilson,’ one fan said.

The popular Giants fan page ‘Talkin’ Giants’ shared a grab of Wilson walking out onto the field with the caption: ‘Captain Russell Wilson’.

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NFL fans were surprised to see Russell Wilson wearing his helmet for the Giants coin toss

A different football fan posted on X: ‘I love that Russell Wilson has to suit up every game just to do the coin toss.’

Another wrote: ‘Putting Russell Wilson in for the OT coin toss is foul.’

CBS sports analyst Matt Lively had a more sympathetic take, commenting on X: ‘Russell Wilson still goes out as a captain for the Giants during the coin toss which has to hurt a little.’

The Giants ended up getting beat on Sunday, going down in overtime 34-27 to the Lions.

Jahmyr Gibbs scored the touchdown that consigned the Giants to another defeat, rounding out an extraordinary game with a 69-yard rushing touchdown.

Gibbs ended the day with three touchdowns to his name and 264 yards.

Wilson and the Giants, meanwhile, fall to 2-10 in what has been another nightmare season – they are already out of contention for the playoffs before November is over.

They meet the New England Patriots next, on December 1.

Vikings’ Aaron Jones Sr. Makes Feelings Clear on J.J. McCarthy

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(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
The struggles for Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy continued in Week 12 against the Green Bay Packers, completing 12 of 19 passes for just 87 yards and throwing two interceptions while taking five sacks in the 23-6 loss at Lambeau Field on November 23.

Minnesota had a tough day on offense, managing just six points in the first half and failing to score in the second. The Vikings’ defense fought to stay competitive, but the Packers kept piling on points, eventually putting the game beyond reach.

After the loss to the Packers, Aaron Jones Sr. came to McCarthy’s defense, saying he wouldn’t allow the young quarterback to take all the criticism for their performance.

“On the sideline, I told him, ‘Keep your head up. I’m proud of you. It’s not all on you,’” Jones told reporters after the loss. “It’s everybody’s job around him to make his job easier, and we didn’t do that today. We just have to go back to the drawing board, continue to work, keep our process right, and stick together.”

Moreover, Jones also had words for Justin Jefferson, who is also experiencing struggles on this offense.

“[Jefferson] handles it well,“ Jones added. “He’s just trying to keep the guys up on the sideline, keep them going, letting us know, hey, take it one play at a time. All that needs to be done is one play. Make one play and things will get snowballing. And just trying to keep guys in it.

“He’s one of our true leaders, and you’ll never see him cussing anybody out on the sideline or doing any of that. Justin, he’s always there trying to lift people up or get them going.”

Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy Remains Confident
Following the Green Bay game, McCarthy spoke about his confidence, despite ongoing difficulties and being limited to only 87 passing yards.

“Confidence is always high, no matter what, because the guy’s in that room, because of the trust and faith in my abilities,“ McCarthy told reporters postgame. “We have to put things together, keep putting days together, plays together, and execute better at the end of the day.”

Vikings’ Kevin O’Connell Backs His QB
With a 4-7 record, removing McCarthy at this stage wouldn’t make sense. The playoffs are out of reach, shifting the focus to the young quarterback proving he can lead next season. As the 2025 NFL season winds down, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell continues to express full confidence in him.

“It’s all about his preparation,” O’Connell told reporters after the loss. “It’s all about going back to work and understanding, ‘Hey, this is a new week, very tough road trip ahead of us. We’re going to need our quarterback to have the best week of preparation out of anybody on our team.‘ But then we also need all the other phases of our team and the other guys in that huddle with them to do the same, and just keep on staying the course.

“When we find improvement, when we find consistent examples of it, let’s not be in a position where we’re ever going to be a team that celebrates that short-term success. We’re going to be a team that needs to just continue to press onward and execute even better and do your job even better.”

Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports journalist covering the NFL for Heavy.com. He previously covered the league for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has contributed as a freelance writer for The Sporting News. He also served as an editor for Athlon Sports and Heavy Sports focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo