Steelers Named Favorites to Land Russell Wilson

The Steelers’ plans at quarterback are anyone’s guess at this point. Mason Rudolph’s free agency status throws a wrench in it all, but the only certainty seems to be that Kenny Pickett will factor into them somehow. But a veteran quarterback or a rookie seems likely to come along at some point.

On Wednesday, former NFL quarterback David Carr went through possible landing spots for Russell Wilson, and he landed on the Steelers as the best fit for him. Not only can Wilson bring that veteran presence to push Pickett, but he brings acumen that a coach like Mike Tomlin would like at the head of their roster.

“I suspect Mike Tomlin is not over the moon about any of these options. Pittsburgh would be in a much different situation right now if he were. Tomlin wouldn’t start Rudolph — who got on a hot streak, but also served as the third-stringer until late in the season and is the only one of the three set to enter free agency this offseason — over a healthy Pickett if he were happy with his QB1, that’s for sure. The Steelers have become a vertical passing team since Mike Sullivan took over as offensive play-caller. It’s a system in which Rudolph has thrived; consider the deep shot he lofted to George Pickens on a 66-yard score in Week 16. This system would fit Wilson like a glove. Not only can he push the ball vertically, but he can also be the general for a team that is run-centric and has a good defense. It’d be Seattle all over again! Wilson would need to compete with Pickett (a former first-round pick who, Tomlin says, is still the starter) for the No. 1 job, but I believe that kind of competition would get the most out of him,” Carr wrote.

Denver is just two seasons removed from trading for Wilson. The Broncos sent two first-round picks, two second-round picks, a fifth-round pick, quarterback Drew Lock, defensive lineman Shelby Harris and tight end Noah Fant to the Seahawks for Wilson on March 16, 2022.

A Super Bowl champion and nine-time Pro Bowler with the Seahawks, Wilson has struggled in Denver. He posted an 84.4 passer rating in 2022, which was by far the lowest mark of his career, and was sacked a league-high 55 times.

The Broncos fired head coach Nathaniel Hackett after just one season, trading more draft picks for former New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton this past offseason, and Wilson has been better with a 98 passer rating in 15 games this season.

But he hasn’t prevented the Broncos from being eliminated from the playoffs and Wilson hasn’t come close to living up to his five-year, $243 million contract.

The Broncos will absorb a gigantic salary cap hit if they move on from Wilson, but they can minimize it if they release him with a post-June 1 designation. That would still deal them a $34 million dead cap charge over each the 2024 and 2025 seasons.