Russell Wilson, Notable NFL Additions Whose Jobs Shouldn't be Safe in Training Camp

Anyone who has followed the NFL for more than a couple of offseasons knows adding big names during the offseason doesn't always translate to success. However, notable veterans do typically receive prominent roles when landing with new teams.

This offseason, for example, Russell Wilson signed with the New York Giants expecting to be the starter. The presence of Jameis Winston and the arrival of first-round rookie Jaxson Dart have done nothing to push him out of the QB1 job entering training camp.

"These guys will be out here competing, but Russ is our starter," Giants head coach Brian Daboll said on Wednesday, per ESPN's Jordan Raanan.

Wilson may not be the missing piece that pushes New York back into the postseason, and he certainly isn't the Giants' long-term answer at the game's most important position. Therefore, while he may enter camp as the starter, he shouldn't consider his job secure.

Wilson isn't the only noteworthy veteran who was added through free agency or trade this offseason whose job shouldn't be safe in training camp, either.

Here, we'll examine the positions that could be at risk, why, and what it could all mean for 2025 and beyond.

Russell Wilson, QB, New York Giants

AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura

There's a big reason why Daboll and Giants general manager Joe Schoen may want to stick with Wilson early in 2025: He hasn't been great over the last few seasons, but he does have a lengthy track record of providing steady QB play.

After delivering just nine wins over the past two seasons, Daboll and Schoen may need to see multiple early victories in 2025 to save their jobs beyond midseason. Going with the 10-time Pro Bowler instead of a rookie or the turnover-prone Winston is probably the "safe" play.

Schoen also needs to justify giving Wilson a $10.5 million contract when it seemed few, if any, other teams were seriously interested in adding him as a starter.

Of course, the safe play isn't always the right one. The 36-year-old isn't the same difference-maker he was early in his career, and he struggled to push the ball down the field during stints with the Denver Broncos and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Yes, Wilson made the Pro Bowl as an alternate in 2024, but he struggled mightily over the last month of the regular season (4 TD passes, 4 turnovers, 0-4 record). Chunk passing plays were not a regular part of the Steelers offense last season, either.

Winston may throw it to the wrong team far more often than he should, but he will let it rip. For a team looking to develop young wideouts like Malik Nabers and Wan'Dale Robinson, he might be the more valuable QB. Dart, meanwhile, is the future and has far more long-term value than either Winston or Wilson.

Really, the Giants should be a lot more fluid at the quarterback position than they're portraying publicly. If Dart or Winston begins to shine during camp or the preseason, they should have the opportunity to take the starting job from Wilson.

Joe Flacco, QB, Cleveland Browns

AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki

Unlike Wilson, veteran quarterback Joe Flacco hasn't been handed a starting job. Instead, the Cleveland Browns are in the early stages of a four-way competition that involves Flacco, trade acquisition Kenny Pickett, rookie third-round pick Dillon Gabriel and rookie fifth-rounder Shedeur Sanders.

Still, all signs point to Flacco being the most sensible option for a Browns team desperate to regain some relevance. After all, the 40-year-old did help Cleveland reach the postseason just two seasons ago.

"If I'm the Browns, you got to go with a guy like Flacco, just because two years ago, he was the NFL Comeback Player of the Year because of what he did in Cleveland," ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit told D.J. Siddiqi of The Escapist. "You hang your hat on him and hope he can stay healthy for most of the year."

The plan to start Flacco sounds good in theory, if you believe Cleveland can rebound from last year's three-win campaign and make a real playoff push. But given its recent results and its position in a brutal AFC North, a high draft pick feels more likely for the Browns than a playoff spot.

If the Browns feel similarly, they should see what they have in their young signal-callers and/or if it's worth targeting prospects like LaNorris Sellers, Drew Allar and Cade Klubnik in the 2026 draft.

The Browns need to be thinking long-term, and Flacco simply isn't a permanent solution.

Pickett, who only turned 27 in June, Gabriel and Sanders are all candidates to be part of Cleveland's QB plan moving forward. If any of the three is close to Flacco's level in camp or the preseason, the Browns should want to get a look at a younger option.

Jaylon Moore, OT, Kansas City Chiefs

AP Photo/Lachlan Cunningham

When the Kansas City Chiefs signed offensive tackle Jaylon Moore, it was one of the most head-turning moves of early free agency.

His two-year, $30 million contract isn't outlandish for a starting-caliber left tackle, but it does suggest the Chiefs view him as a full-time starter.

The problem with that is Moore's lack of experience suggests otherwise. He made just 12 starts in four seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, and he's never started more than five games in a single campaign.

To be fair to Kansas City, Pro Football Focus did grade him 25th overall among tackles for the 2025 season. Still, the Chiefs are placing a lot of importance on a former fifth-round pick who has spent most of his pro career as a backup.

The Chiefs seemed set to rely heavily on Moore, but they then used the 32nd overall pick on Ohio State offensive tackle Josh Simmons.

While the rookie suffered a season-ending knee injury in 2024, he appears to be healthy and may already have snagged the starting left-tackle job away from Moore. According to Charles Goldman of A to Z Sports, Simmons was at left tackle with the starting offense during the first practice of training camp. Moore was at right tackle, filling in for Jawaan Taylor, who opened camp on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list.

Now, Taylor could end up being the odd man out here, even if his $19.5 million base salary would suggest otherwise. Kansas City is looking for another victory parade and should go with whichever tackle combination is most effective.

However, there's a real chance Moore signed a lucrative deal to step into the Chiefs' swing-tackle role.

Javonte Williams, RB, Dallas Cowboys

AP Photo/Bart Young

The Dallas Cowboys opted not to bring back Rico Dowdle, who tallied an impressive 1,328 scrimmage yards and five touchdowns last season. Instead, they signed Javonte Williams to a one-year, $3 million contract while watching Dowdle ink a one-year, $2.8 million deal with the Carolina Panthers.

The Cowboys, it would seem, believe Williams could be an upgrade over Dowdle. Of course, they weren't convinced that he could be a bona fide star; hence, their decision to also sign Miles Sanders before drafting Jaydon Blue in Round 5 and Phil Mafah in Round 7.

Now, Blue and Mafah are rookies, while Sanders is on a modest one-year, $1.4 million contract. At first blush, it might seem fair to pencil in Williams as the starter. The reality, though, is that the former Denver Broncos standout is still working to earn the starting job.

According to Patrik Walker of the Cowboys' official site, Williams impressed on Day 1 of camp while Sanders commanded attention on Day 2.

Blue and Mafah could vie for playing time as well, as could third-year back Deuce Vaughn. Wide receiver and return specialist KaVontae Turpin also appears poised to become a wild card.

Per Walker, Turpin has taken "several" handoffs in first- and second-team drills and has begun to make a mark as a do-it-all playmaker.

"He's a guy we wanna move all over the field," head coach Brian Schottenheimer said, per Walker.

For Williams to hang onto any semblance of a true RB1 role, he may have to showcase the same consistency and explosiveness he showed as a rookie in 2021. He rushed for 903 yards and 4.4 yards per carry that season and had a solid start (4.3 yards per carry) in 2022 before suffering a torn ACL after four games.

Unfortunately, Williams has looked like a completely different running back since the injury, averaging 3.6 and 3.7 yards per carry in 2023 and 2024, respectively. If he isn't closer to his pre-injury form in training camp, he may end up relegated to more of a complementary role.

Christian Kirk, WR, Houston Texans

AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack

The Houston Texans entered the offseason in need of receiver help.

Young standout Tank Dell suffered a severe knee injury late in 2024 and "will not be practicing or playing for a long time," according to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston. Stefon Diggs suffered a torn ACL last season and departed for the Patriots in free agency.

Therefore, it felt like Houston was adding a starter when it traded to acquire Christian Kirk from the Jacksonville Jaguars. Though the 28-year-old suffered a season-ending broken collarbone last season, he should help the Texans replace Dell in the slot.

According to new teammate Nico Collins, Kirk is off to a strong start in Houston.

"Everything has impressed me," Collins said, per a team transcript (h/t Kevin Patra of NFL.com). "His work ethic, what he brings to the field, his leadership and just his advice."

While Kirk has a good chance to keep Houston's slot role, he can't be guaranteed to do so. The Texans threw multiple darts at the receiver position this offseason, adding the likes of Justin Watson, Braxton Berrios, rookie second-round pick Jayden Higgins and rookie third-rounder Jaylin Noel.

The rookies have also impressed early.

"They’ve come in with a great mindset, really mature guys, guys who love to work consistently here at the building or working with me in the offseason," quarterback C.J. Stroud told reporters on Wednesday.

Houston must roll with whichever receiver lineup offers the best chance to succeed in 2025. If a rookie pushes Kirk out of a prominent role, the Texans should be OK with that.

*Contract information via Spotrac.