MARCH 15: The Steelers announced the signing Friday. While Wilson will become by far the highest-profile quarterback on Pittsburgh’s roster, the former Seahawks and Broncos starter is still expected to compete with Pickett for the starting job.
MARCH 10: After a strange two-year tenure in Denver followed an outstanding 10 seasons as a Seahawk, Russell Wilson plans to take his next snaps with the Steelers, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. What was anticipated to be a potentially lengthy and competitive free agency ends up being determined just before the start of the free agent period.
Wilson seemed to confirm the report by posting his own video on X. It is a one-year contract, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac tweets. Wilson’s third team will enjoy the chance to have him on a veteran-minimum deal, due to his Broncos situation, and the Washington Post’s Mark Maske confirms the Steelers are likely to pay Wilson only $1.21MM.
[RELATED: 2024 NFL Top 50 Free Agents]
Wilson’s short stint on the market started less than a week ago, when the Broncos made the decision to announce their plans to release him at the start of the new league year and granted him the right to communicate with outside teams. After failing to come to an agreement on a slight restructure to his five-year, $245MM deal with the Broncos, Denver is set to eat a record-obliterating dead money sum.
The Broncos will be hit with $85MM over the next two years, with nearly half that financial lump coming in 2024. By waiting until free agency opens on Wednesday to officially release him, the Broncos will be able to designate him as a post-June 1 release to minimize the historic damage this year. Now, Wilson heads to the Steel City to compete for the starting job with Kenny Pickett.
Pickett won the starting job in his rookie season from the newly departed Mitchell Trubisky, but this year, veteran backup Mason Rudolph took over as starter while Pickett was hurt and kept it after Pickett was healthy enough to play again. There were some in the Steelers’ camp who supported a camp battle between the two for the right to start in 2024, as opposed to gifting the job back to Pickett without a fight. Things sure change now.
With Wilson coming to town, Pickett may be in an uphill battle — one in which Rudolph is unlikely to be involved. In fact, Mark Kaboly of The Athletic reports that Rudolph’s reps met with the team Sunday, and with the Wilson news now public, it is hard to imagine Rudolph stays in Pittsburgh this year. This likely means that Pickett will find himself on the bench learning from a Super Bowl-winning nine-time Pro Bowler.
Wilson visited the Steelers late this week, after he met with the Giants. The Raiders also loomed as a potential option, but the Steelers surged to the front of the line. New OC Arthur Smith and Wilson met for several hours, per CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson, who adds Wilson’s Steelers homework effort involved reaching out to some players in advance of the meeting. A productive Smith-Pickett meeting took place last month in Florida, but the Steelers are changing their QB dynamic in the aftermath.
It is difficult to overstate how far Wilson drifted off course in Denver. The Broncos’ hiring of Nathaniel Hackett and giving Wilson considerable autonomy in the design of their 2022 offense resulted in a stunning freefall for the decorated quarterback. The Broncos fired Hackett after 15 games. Brought in partially to salvage their Wilson investment, Sean Payton coaxed a better season from the 12th-year veteran. But the year involved behind-the-scenes drama and a benching ahead of Denver’s Week 17 game. That week represented a sea change for the Broncos, effectively confirming Wilson would be elsewhere in 2024 and the 2022 trade — headlined by two first-round picks going to Seattle — will go down as an all-time debacle.
The Wilson contract, which was set to begin its extension years in 2024, will likely lead to the Steelers paying only $1.21MM for a potential Hall of Fame passer. Offset language will stick the Broncos with the rest of the tab, barely cutting into their dead money. Wilson is eager to help his new team on the contract front, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, and it will certainly be easier to build a roster around him compared to what became of his $49MM-AAV Broncos contract.
Wilson accused the Broncos of threatening to bench him unless he moved his injury guarantee vesting date from 2024 to 2025. That would have given the Broncos more flexibility. While the Broncos have denied a benching ultimatum was part of the equation, GM George Paton confirmed they wanted to adjust the guarantee date. Wilson refused and, as should be expected, omitted the Paton-Payton tandem from his Denver farewell post.
Wilson, 35, is the only quarterback in NFL history in the 40,000-5,000 club, reaching that air-ground place in Denver. Wilson did throw 26 touchdown passes compared to just eight interceptions last season, but Payton kept a tight leash on the improvisational passer. Even as the Broncos strung together a five-game midseason win streak, amid the behind-the-curtain drama, Wilson was not leading a high-octane attack. QBR ranked Wilson 21st last season. That marked an improvement from his 2022 disaster, but the former third-round find appears to be somewhere past his prime. The Steelers will determine how far.
Pickett has not progressed like the Steelers hoped. While Mike Tomlin said Pickett would be the starter coming into the offseason program, Wilson’s presence probably changes the equation. Wilson has seen a number of detractors emerge in recent years, but Pickett not keeping his QB1 gig through a second season is eye-opening. The Pitt product has thrown only 13 touchdown passes in 25 career games. Even with Wilson past his Seattle peak, Pickett will face stiff competition to recapture the job.
Sam Robinson contributed to this post.
I mean at this point anyone with a pulse is better than Pickett…
Cool no more Picksixit
This would make sense if Pickett had ever thrown an NFL pick 6.
Only because he can’t hit defensive players either.
That’s because some people post with words coming out of their posterior
Cool, the Broncos just saved a million dollars!
Don’t spend it all in one place!
LOL, good one. Funny how the NFL is the one place in the world that can make the Walmart family feel low on funds.
Hopefully he knows how to throw to a tight end.
Agree. Wilson has less to work with in Pittsburgh then in Denver. Poor Kenny left battered and bruised with no targets.
Win-win for both the Steelers and Russel.
PIT finally has a guy who can make some plays.
Uggh. He’s the worst QB in the league at throwing over the middle. Holds on to the ball longer than just about anyone else. And fumbles a ton. Throws a good deep ball. We may score a few more points but not sure this is the way forward.
Not sure you’ve watched enough of his game. He is a top 10 “statistically ranked” QB with the one outlier year two seasons ago. That was on that crazy HC that Denver brought in for whatever reason. Russ will easily win over the team & be the starting QB. I wish it wasn’t for Steelers, but I’m glad he isn’t in the NFC. I’m betting he wins a new extension & that the Steelers won’t let him leave next season.
Yeah, I’m wondering where some fans get their info. I salute Khan for understanding the future is now with a number of offensive weapons in place that can’t wait for Pickett to find himself
Perfect addition
And with money to spend, let’s hope they’re not done adding on both sides of the ball
Even better is the fact they keep their picks by not making any trades for players like Fields. Time to use those picks on both sides of the lines.
Tired this guy got his info from his troll boss
Quite honestly, stats are for people who haven’t been watching his games.
I don’t doubt that he will most likely get the starting role as QB, but the Broncos took on a lot of sorrow bringing him in. He can’t see the middle of the field. His ability to scramble has been a smoke screen for that deficit, but the smoke is clearing to the tune of what just showed up in Pittsburgh.
Why are people who aren’t smart enough to learn anything from statistics so anxious to prove their ignorance with statements like that?
Are you really trying to put yourself out there as someone who knows what they’re talking about? I get why you don’t like stats. They keep proving you wrong so you dismiss them.
Unfortunately for you stats quantify what happens on the field. Try to figure out what they do and don’t tell you instead of pretending your friggin eyeball is better at it. It’s not.
Well man, statistics are what got the Broncos into this mess with Wilson. The biggest statistic is Wilson was paid $85 million to walk (in just under 2 years).
If Wilson still has anything, that would suggest that Payton isn’t that good a coach which is highly unlikely. In fact, if Payton doesn’t know what to do with him, that’s not a good sign as he’s done well with a number of mediocre / out-the-door QBs.
Now, Wilson is kind of an anomaly. This sort of situation is rare. To say he’s washed or not, is really a mixed argument. What do you do with a QB who can throw highly accurately with a gun of an arm, but can’t see the middle of the field and as an effect doesn’t follow what the coach asks?
I can tell you, stats or not, it’s a painful and frustrating thing to sit through for 4 quarters over and over again relying on no-huddle 4th quarter miracles to win games. That’s most likely why Payton’s snarky comments led up to him blowing up on the field.
Stats are good, but consistency is key. The Broncos could never get consistency with Wilson and it was bad enough to choke on $85 Mil.
The Steelers and Arthur Smith are going to learn things their own way, the same way the Jets are learning how great Hackett is. Hopefully they can have success with him, Wilson is a very dedicated athlete, but unless their hashmarks are different on the East coast I don’t see how they fix Wilson, let alone ‘cook’.
Dak Prescott. Tony Romo. How did those stats work out for either?
3rd best QB at best in the division
Or any.
Wilson’s stats have been good, but the original post didn’t say that he didn’t have good stats. He said that Wilson is one of the worst at throwing over the middle. That is categorically true, and it has been true throughout his career. Also, in line what the post said, Wilson throws a good deep ball, and been one of the best deep ball passers in the league since he’s come in. He does tend to hold the ball longer than most quarterbacks, that is also extremely well documented in every year that he’s played.
That doesn’t mean that he’s washed, as some claim, or without his strengths, but the weaknesses are fairly well documented at this point. Wilson has, however, always been a very hard worker and best when he has had to prove himself. This may be the chance to revitalize his career, if the Steelers are willing to cater to his strengths-which is no small commitment.
In any case, he will be the first one to watch (and then Cousins, I suppose) for Comeback Player of the Year.
Exactly, AK. Wilson’s future success (or failure) is really going to depend on if the coaching staff in Pittsburgh schemes to his strengths. He probably needs this to work more than anyone though because, if it doesn’t, I don’t think he’s given more than a backup role moving forward with the chance to win a starter job.
He can throw left handed and be a better QB than Pickett. The guy is a 9-time Pro Bowler. It’s amazing how many here wish to discount that
He’s an extreme upgrade over what they’ve had the past few years and if the Steelers indeed bring in some important pieces, he immediately makes them a more dangerous team
Yeah. I’m sure he comes here with the idea of “competing” for the starting job
I’m not discounting what he has accomplished, and I never said he’d be competing for a starting job in Pittsburgh. I said IF Pittsburgh doesn’t go well for him, he’s probably competing for jobs elsewhere in the future.
I’m not high on Russ, nor am I low on him. I recognize there can be three outcomes, depending on how Pittsburgh uses him. It doesn’t have to be an extreme. Used correctly, he could be very, very good. He could easily just be okay, which would still be an upgrade for Pitt. If you ask him to work the middle of the field and rely on timing versus creating, it could also go horribly wrong. Anything is possible, and no one will know until we see it on the field.
Agreed, Outlaw. But if Rudolph’s time as starting QB proved anything this year it was that the Steelers have one helluva one-two duo in Harris and Warren. If you have a QB whom opposing defenses have to respect in terms of arm strength and pocket presence, those guys are going to get their yardage. To me, that’s what’s most attractive about adding Wilson. Now you have a guy—a veteran leader—that allows you to utilize some real weapons here
It’s not that I’m a huge Wilson fan. It’s just after two years of watching these guys sputter, you now have an offense
And the “compete for a starting job” comment wasn’t aimed at you but rather the line that so many are using. No way Wilson was coming here with anything less than the understanding that while he’s got to prove it on the field, he’s the starter
Oh yeah, the Steelers starting QB job is absolutely Wilson’s, as it should be. I believe he’s going to look better in Pittsburgh than he did in Denver because Payton’s system was a terrible fit for Russ, and Payton wasn’t going to change his system. I feel like Pittsburgh will do a better job of supporting Russ and, as you mentioned, it’s a better team around him. Sundays will tell, though.
I just wasn’t sure where you were coming from originally because the notification made it seem like you responded to me, tiredolddude. I don’t think we view it radically different, however.
Finally, a ray of light. If true, what a tremendous addition
I’m just wondering if they promised Wilson the starting role. If so, then what about Mason? If Wilson has something left in his tank, it’s a decent signing, but obviously just a bridge to either Pickett, Mason or a future pick taking over as the long term answer.
Mason has ‘career backup’ written all over him. Good in a pinch but not someone you want running your team all season. Pickett may end up with the same fate.
I’m not sure. Rudolph has played awfully well when given the chance. Rudolph seems to be suppressed by Tomlin. He should go somewhere the head coach wants to give him a chance.
Both of those seem true to me. Rudolph got a chance, but not necessarily a great chance. However, Rudolph hasn’t shown enough to earn a starting role. But, then again, he may have shown more had he been given a better chance…the argument becomes circular. Despite this, neither is without merit. I tend to lean a little more towards the “let him shoot until he misses” in the absence of a clear starter, and think that Rudolph should have been better rewarded opportunity-wise going into this year.
In any event, I do think that, were their draft positions and years the same, it would be easy to say that Rudolph would be the quarterback retained, not Pickett, going into 2024. We’ll see if Pickett can use this next year to his advantage, even if he ends up on the bench. After all, Rudolph did.
Rudolph didn’t get a FAIR chance since he was drafted. Roethlisberger cried when they drafted him. Roethlisberger didn’t lift a finger to help or guide him. Tomlin yanked him after the incident in Cleveland. Tomlin and Roethlisberger and the local sports hacks ruined the kids career. And the fans bought into it.
Now they are doing the same with Pickett. He won’t ever start again in pittsburgh. After 2 years, the local hacks and fans consider him a washout.
I’m hoping Rudolph goes to another team and lights it up. Same with Pickett, boy then you will hear the local yokels botch about the steelers being stupid.
I agree with most of that. Pickett got a good chance, but I do also see your point about it being ruined by retaining a bad coordinator and not improving the offensive line enough. That line doesn’t get enough blame for its contribution to Pittsburgh’s offensive stagnation the last few years; people mention, but I’d argue that it was by FAR and away the biggest factor in that, even moreso than Canada.
Mason seems ready for politics.
He’s not competing, league minimum contract so he will demand a cut before backing up Pickett.
For a dollar?
Bears fans cannot be happy. One less location for Fields to be traded to. Mayfield took the Bucs off the board and I’m betting Cousins stays with Minnie.
I think Cousins is going to end up in Atlanta and the Bears will end up getting like a 3rd from the Pat’s for Fields.
That’s a good bet.
Boom! Halfway on the money.
There’s still a sliver of hope. I think nobody is talking about the possibility of Rams getting Fields. Or the Patriots getting him and using their first for MHJ
I don’t see Fields as a McVay kind of QB.
Bears won’t cut or keep him. Bears are losing leverage they’ll have to ship him off for something. My main curiosity is for what and who will take him in. Raiders seem like the best team standing but I just don’t see Pierce doing
If this is them giving up on Pickett than it is what it is. This draft is deep with QBs so trade Johnson & draft a QB to sit a year or 2 behind Wilson.
Trade Johnson for a 3rd & trade pick 20 back to grab either a late first & a 2nd or 2 2nds.
At least the receivers fit him this time. That was never the case in Denver.
I don’t know. The receivers got way more blame in Denver than they deserved. If anything, the offensive scheme may be more fitting-Payton’s structured and timed offense is not exactly similar to Wilson’s off schedule and improvisational play.
In some ways, Wilson is similar tendency-wise to earlier days of Big Ben, in that improvisational schoolyard sense. Payton is quite opposite. Hackett…well, it’s hard to say, considering how little control at all he had over the team.
Those receivers had a lot of tape on them before Wilson got there. I said they were not going to fit him before he got there two years ago. Neither of them played like Lockett and Metcalf or Baldwin before them. That’s what Wilson needs. Mims was the only one who remotely did. As far as Payton, you have to start wondering has the game slipped past him. His offense in Brees’ latter years wasn’t exactly cutting edge and was below average the year after he retired.
Great news my superflex dynasty QB is still a starting QB!
Be funny if Denver traded for Kenny Pickett. Buy low on a former 1st round pick
Funny as that potentially could be, you’d think that they’d have to consider Mac Jones in that scenario. The interesting hypothetical, had Jones not been dealt and were Pickett definitely available, was which of the two you’d rather give a second chance to.
I guess another way to put it would be thusly: if Pickett were definitely available at the start of the offseason and Pittsburgh definitely done with him, would the Jags have given up more for him than for Jones? The Jones trade may be a decent gauge for Pickett, if the quarterback market remains stable next year and Pittsburgh decides to move on. A lot of factors, to be sure, but it may be an interesting link to examine should that scenario arise.
Pickett’s alleged pouting after he got soft benched last year isn’t a good look for how he’ll take this. I never thought much of either in their draft class, so I’m not surprised that they both flamed out. At least Tomlin got his ownership to see the same thing after he coached around the issue so that he doesn’t end up like Belichick.
Wonder if Jordan Travis will fall to the 4th round? He would nice to stash for a year and have him learn from Wilson.
Maybe Wilson can convince his old buddy Bobby Wagner to sign here, as well. They could use an ILB and the guy led the league in tackles last year
Win-win. If Russell is looking to get another contract next year, doing it with the Steelers is the way to go. Winning team that he may be able to take a little further in the playoffs. Should be an interesting year.
Massive upgrade form Pickett. If Steelers draft well they can compete in the brutal afc north. They need a new franchise WR to pair with Pickens. Worthy or Rice would be great
They still have the third-best QB in the division, and possibly fourth when Flacco fills in for Watson.
And yet the Steelers are 7-1 in their last 8 against Baltimore. But hey, yeah, great point
Can’t wait to hear what the psychic posters on Steelers depot think after promising everyone hundreds of times that he wouldn’t sign a one year deal.
Maybe now they’ll give up their psychic efforts and take a class in finance.
The people of Steelers depot are so stupid. The same 5 guys make the dumbest comments. I’m not going to say names or anything but man they’re stupid.
The battle for .500 ball continues …
Well, this could be good for Pittsburgh, but it’s certainly not guaranteed. Smith is going to have to build an offense specifically for Wilson, and Wilson is going to have to accede to the Steelers running the ball heavily and limit his free-ranging at the LoS compared to his Denver days-at least until the offense can find a rhythm.
As for Denver…Peyton Manning he was not. For Pittsburgh? I suppose that we’ll see. Pickett may be “learning” under Wilson, and the time off will likely benefit him as it did Rudolph, but the stars point to the Steelers drafting another QB in a year or two. Until then? A full commitment to Wilson’s style will be necessary to conpete in the mean.
Love this as a Bengal fan!
As a Ravens fan this move by Steelers doesn’t change how I view them. Seems like every year we play them games are tight and results aren’t necessarily determined by great QB play. Basically, to me, it comes down to two teams just beating the hell out of each other for a couple hours followed group ice bath therapy sessions for a couple days thereafter.
Patriots trade down to the Bears #9, get Fields and the Bears extra #2 in 2025. Bears take Williams and Harrison.
What?
You think the Pats should give up the #3 pick to drop down to the #9 pick and get Justin Fields and a 2nd Rounder next year? That is insane.
Fields is worth a 4th or 5th round pick, no one is going to have to give up much to get him. I could see the Pats offering pick #102 OR #136 to CHI for Fields.
Maybe the Raiders offer pick #111 OR #147.
Mac went for a 6th. I’d say a 4th or 5th is extremely high for Fields.
Yeah a 5th is kind of a lot lol.
I think BAL could use Fields as a backup option. BAL doesn’t have a 6th round pick but they do have an extra 5th. Pick #164 for Justin Fields final offer lol.
Fields showed a lot more last year than Jones did. If anything his legs are a game changer. I think he goes for a 3rd this year and a 5th next year to a more desperate team. Remember Lance went for a 4th last year and Fields is way better.
Going even a little further back, washed Wentz went for two thirds plus a 2nd rd pick swap and Darnold went for 2nd, 4th, and 6th.
I don’t have high hopes for Fields career, but he can win you a few games with his legs alone if you have a decent enough defense.
Well said Captain.
Waiting to see what ATL does. If they don’t sign Cousins I think they could trade for Fields. WAS, NE and LV seem like potential landing spots as well. If NE or WAS decide they want one of these stud WR’s in the 1st round they may go after Fields.
Lol “compete” with kenny. Kenny is a bust.
Kenny was never supposed to be a 1st round pick. The Steelers let bias get the best of them. They saw him being there at 20 “fate” because they “A” needed a QB, “B” was the consensus best available quarterback, and “C” played for University of Pittsburgh who played games at Heinz field, so he was “already familiar with the locker rooms”. Maybe all of the journalists were correct that his small hands were going to contribute to his inability to play at the NFL level.
Small hands are a fairly good indicator of being a bust. There are ZERO hall of fame QBs that had hands his size I am sure. And if there are, I am sure it is one or two so incredibly rare.
Apparently Wilson believes being a QB gets easier when that 600th sack is just over the horizon…lol.
Sounds like another recent typical Steeler year. Mike T will coach them above .500. Everyone will awe in amazement of that record(!!!). And then get blown out in the first round of the playoffs.
Why don’t we wait until we see if they spend some money in free agency before making such a stupid statement? It’s March. Wilson is a step in the right direction. Hopefully more will follow
Wilson is a 35 year old 1 year rental… He does nothing for the Steelers after 1 year. And when 2 borderline HoF HC punt on him in 3 years, that tells me more than anything.
It tells me the Steelers aren’t going to invest in a qb this year and start over at the position when Pickett’s rookie deal ends. Which is a good thing to have cheap qbs while Watt, Highsmith, Minkah and Cam are all making serious money on defense. Spend the money you do have to finish building the defense and the offensive line this year. Get a qb and wideouts next year.
arty!, of course he is a one year rental. Look at the contract he has in place. What he’s doing is a lot like what Mayfield did this past season. It’s a prove it year, if nothing else.
tiredolddude_ it actually wasn’t a stupid statement. It was actually par for the course. The only stupid thing here was you trying to call someone out for having a different opinion than you… And actually stating facts. Go to bed old man
No, you’re right. It was an asinine comment and I expect better from arty! But thanks for stopping by with your opinion
And “old man?” Maybe you’d better check with your wife about that, junior
Literally just playing on with your name there genius lol but alright. My wife doesn’t exist anymore lol. I handed that contract off to another sucker who’s now miserable while I sit here and enjoy my wonderful farm. “My wife” is all yours buddy. She was terrible anyways. Good try tho old dude.
Oh and arty!’s content was actually correct. It can be proven based on the last few off-seasons but you probably don’t remember being a tired old dude
Pardon my reply. Uncalled for and childish. My apologies
Don’t have to endure another second of watching Pickett. Thank god! Clipboard Kenny coming to a TV near you!!
I’ll be interested in following the years Deshaun Watson, owed 100s of millions, vs Wilson, owed 100s of 100s, has in 2024.
What was wrong with Justin Fields!?! 🙁
HoF QB for free. Note to Jets, this is how it’s done! Not with second and third round draft picks for two seasons.
I’d have thought that the Raiders were a better fit than Pitt. A little disappointed.
Kenny Pickett for Justin Fields…who says no?
A ridiculous question a week ago but…with Fields’ market collapsing and Pickett being a cheaper, less distracting backup for Williams, maybe it’s not.
I’m betting the Raiders still swoop in, 66. Or Denver. Maybe even Washington. Just hard to believe this many teams are ok with the idea of starting a rookie QB they get through the draft
….and Shucks, the Steelers still need a QB !!!