Russell Wilson

Latest On Steelers’ QB Situation

March 28th, 2024 at 8:17pm CST by Ben Levine

The Steelers entered the offseason with some expectation of shaking up their quarterbacks room. However, Steelers general manager Omar Khan admitted this week that he never would have imagined the team adding both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.

“I’m excited about both of those players,” Khan said earlier this week (via Dale Lolley of the team’s website). “They’re both really good quarterbacks. If you would have told me a month ago in Indy that we’d be here and Russell Wilson and Justin Fields would be our quarterbacks, I’d say, I’d be a little bit surprised.”

When the season ended with yet another one-and-done playoff appearance, Khan gave Kenny Pickett a vote of confidence. At the same time, the GM acknowledged that the Steelers would likely add some competition at the position. That mentality didn’t last too long, as both Russell (via free agency) and Fields (via trade) were acquired thanks to massive discounts. The Steelers were also able to find a trade partner for Pickett in the Eagles, allowing them to completely reset their QB depth chart. Despite the sudden pivot, Khan made it clear that it had nothing to do with Pickett’s ability.

“Nothing has changed. I still have a lot of faith in Kenny Pickett,” Khan said. “Kenny’s a good football player, a good quarterback. I think he’s got a big future in the NFL. Things just kind of evolved. I couldn’t really have foreseen that things would go the way they did.”

Now, the Steelers will shift their focus to their two new signal callers. Mike Tomlin made it clear this week that Wilson is in “pole position” to be Pittsburgh’s starting quarterback, although Fields will eventually have the “opportunity to compete” when the time comes. Tomlin noted the advantage of having clarity at the position, which is why he’s been straightforward when discussing his team’s QB plan.

“We’ve been very transparent about the pecking order, at least to start,” Tomlin said earlier this week (via ESPN’s Brooke Pryor). “I just think that provides clarity for all parties involved. Russell is a veteran, man. He’s got a proven process of readiness. He’s been in this league a long time. He’s capable of rallying troops, receivers, tight ends, running backs, et cetera. He’s just got a lot of experience in terms of what it takes to be the guy over the course of a 12-month calendar and I just think that that’s something that a younger guy like Justin could learn from.”

While the Steelers were clearly active in the QB market, the team didn’t pursue the biggest available name. Tomlin told reporters (including Pryor) that the Steelers didn’t make a run at Kirk Cousins, who ended up getting $180MM from the Falcons.

Latest On Giants’ QB Situation

March 23rd, 2024 at 9:57am CST by Ben Levine

After the Giants poked around at the likes of Russell Wilson and landed on Drew Lock, there was some speculation that the organization could be looking to manufacture a QB competition. Seahawks GM John Schneider only fueled that fire earlier this week, telling Seattle Sports 710AM that the Giants lured Lock away from Seattle by selling the QB on the “opportunity to compete to be the starter.”

Lock was quick to dismiss that notion. After inking his one-year deal with the Giants yesterday, the QB told reporters that it’s clearly been conveyed to him that Daniel Jones is the starter.

“Now, I need to come in and push Daniel to be the best that he can be,’’ Lock said (via Paul Schwartz of the New York Post). “I’ve had both sides of this. I’ve been the guy to push a starter, I’ve been the starter that’s being pushed by the backups. It’s about making that room the best it can be. If we can do that, the sky’s the limit for this team.’’

As Jeff Howe of The Athletic writes, it was likely Jones’ career-long injury issues and Brian Daboll‘s quarterback-friendly system that helped lure Lock to New York. Both Tyrod Taylor and Mitch Trubisky parlayed stints as Daboll’s QB2 into larger pay days, and Lock is surely hoping for the same outcome.

Lock could have an opportunity to start in 2024 as Jones continues to rehab a torn ACL that ended his 2023 season, but the new addition will simply be keeping the seat warm. That’s a big reason why the Giants didn’t end up adding Wilson to the mix; as Lowe reports, the Giants didn’t make the veteran QB “any promises about playing time.” The Giants also tried to retain Taylor, as Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda.com writes. Ultimately, Taylor was able to garner a higher offer from the Jets than what Lock settled for with the Giants.

While the Giants continue to give Jones a vote of confidence, that doesn’t mean the team is entirely comfortable with his future outlook. As Ralph Vacchiano of FOX Sports writes, Jones’ injury history has “shaken” the Giants’ faith in the franchise QB. The former first-round pick has only made it through one season unscathed, and that’s led the team to consider taking a quarterback in next month’s draft. Even after handing Jones a four-year, $160MM extension last offseason, the Giants have scouted many of the draft’s top quarterback prospects. If the organization does pull the trigger on a rookie signal-caller, that will only further cloud the team’s QB picture moving forward.

Steelers, Russell Wilson Plan To Discuss New Contract After 2024 Season; More On Justin Fields Trade

March 17th, 2024 at 11:18pm CST by Rory Parks

Despite yesterday’s stunning trade that sent Justin Fields from the Bears to the Steelers, the recently-signed Russell Wilson will remain in place as Pittsburgh’s starting quarterback. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, head coach Mike Tomlin reached out to Wilson before the trade was finalized to let the nine-time Pro Bowler know that his job is safe.

And, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Wilson and the Steelers are interested in a multiyear arrangement. While Pittsburgh is paying Wilson the veteran minimum on his one-year deal for 2024 — the Broncos are picking up the rest of Wilson’s $39MM tab — player and team are already planning to explore a “longer deal” at the the end of the season.

It would seem a bit premature to make those types of plans. After all, while Wilson’s second year in Denver was much better than his first, his brief stint with the Broncos was generally a disappointing one. And even if the Steelers do not exercise Fields’ fifth-year option for 2025, it is certainly possible that he impresses enough over the course of the upcoming year to convince Tomlin — long rumored to be a Fields fan — that his newest acquisition is worthy of a new contract and a starting role. Plus, Wilson will be 36 by the end of the 2024 campaign, while Fields just turned 25.

Nonetheless, the fact that these reports are even circulating is evidence of the Steelers’ faith in Wilson. And considering that the club is committing so little salary to him and was able to acquire Fields for a sixth-round draft choice — which will only become a fourth-rounder if Fields plays 51% of Pittsburgh’s offensive snaps in 2024 — the Fields trade will have been worth it even if he simply plays out the season as a high-end insurance policy for Wilson and heads elsewhere next year.

It was not too long ago that Dulac and other Steelers beats unequivocally wrote that the team would not pursue an external addition (like Wilson and Fields) who was eyeing a QB1 role. Per Pro Football Talk, those reports were correct when they were published, but the club has dramatically changed how its views the quarterback position over the past month. During that time, Pittsburgh saw Mason Rudolph sign with the Titans in free agency and subsequently traded Kenny Pickett to the Eagles. Whether Rudolph’s departure is what triggered the shift in organizational philosophy — Dulac et al. had suggested that Rudolph and Pickett could compete for the starting quarterback job in 2024 — is unclear, but one way or another, the Steelers have overhauled their QB room in a short amount of time, and for minimal cost.

Meanwhile, Chicago fans have Caleb Williams to look forward to in the near future, but the club is doubtlessly disappointed that it was unable to fetch a larger return for Fields, the No. 11 overall pick of the 2021 draft. We heard just last week that the Bears were not panicking even when the market for Fields did not develop as hoped, and as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk opines, the club should have continued exercising patience. If GM Ryan Poles was willing to accept a 2025 draft choice in exchange for Fields, he might have waited until the 2024 draft was over to see which teams were left without a passer. He might even have kept Fields on the roster, at least as a backup, and waited to collect a compensatory draft pick if and when Fields signed with a different club as a free agent next March.

Perhaps, as Florio suggests, Poles felt that he was doing the right thing for Fields by trading him sooner rather than later. Regardless of his rationale, Poles did confirm in a statement after the trade was announced that he had been exploring a deal for weeks.

The statement, issued by the club’s official X feed, reads, “We have engaged in multiple trade conversations in recent weeks and believe trading Justin at this time to Pittsburgh is what is best for both Justin and the Bears. Today we spoke to Justin to inform him of the trade and the rationale behind it for us as a Club. We want to thank him for his tireless dedication, leadership and all he poured into our franchise and community the last three years and wish him the best towards a long and successful NFL career.”

Per ESPN’s Courtney Cronin, five teams contacted the Bears to dicuss a Fields trade, though all of those clubs viewed Fields as a backup. Poles had hoped that the 2021 trade that sent Sam Darnold from the Jets to the Panthers in exchange for a 2021 sixth-rounder, a 2022 second-rounder, and a 2022 fourth-rounder would provide a framework for a Fields deal, but at the time, Carolina clearly viewed Darnold as a starter. Since rival teams did not feel the same way about Fields, Poles elected to resolve the matter quickly and to start the Williams era with a clean slate.

Bears Trade QB Justin Fields To Steelers

March 16th, 2024 at 11:12pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Bears were finally able to offload quarterback Justin Fields into the trade market today. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that Chicago is trading Fields to the Steelers, where he could potentially compete with newly signed quarterback Russell Wilson for the starting job.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter provides details, telling us that Pittsburgh is sending the Bears a 2025 sixth-round pick that can conditionally become a fourth-round pick, depending on whether or not Fields plays 51 percent of the team’s offensive snaps in 2024. Both teams have announced the deal.

Pittsburgh’s QB room has changed dramatically in recent days, starting with the team’s Wilson deal becoming official. The former Super Bowl winner’s arrival was followed in very short order by a deal sending Kenny Pickett to the Eagles being worked out. The Steelers’ 2022 first-rounder will head to Philadelphia in a pick-swap arrangement. Fields will occupy the vacancy created by Pickett’s departure.

Of course, this deal has led to immediate questions of how Pittsburgh’s depth chart will look in 2024. Rather than Fields entering his first offseason with the team in an opportunity to take over the No. 1 role, it will be Wilson handling starting duties, as reported by both Rapoport’s colleague Tom Pelissero as well as Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Wilson being handed the reins was a key factor in the Pickett deal coming together as quickly as it did.

Fields will firmly be entrenched in the backup spot, though, considering Mason Rudolph (who finished the 2023 campaign as the starter over Pickett) has signed with the Titans. Quarterback play was seen by many as something which had considerable room for improvement in Pittsburgh’s case compared to the post-Ben Roethlisberger options used to date. General manager Omar Khan has moved quickly in re-shaping the depth chart under center. As ESPN’s Ed Werder notes, this offseason marks the first since 1957 that no Steelers signal-caller who played the previous campaign will return for the following one.

The Bears have had a lingering Fields decision to make for the past two offseasons. General manager Ryan Poles had the opportunity to move on from the 2021 11th overall pick last spring, but the team instead elected to forego drafting a passer at the top of the board. The decision to trade last year’s No. 1 pick to the Panthers has left Chicago in a nearly identical situation in 2024, with Poles facing the task of re-committing to Fields or moving on and drafting a rookie (all-but certainly Caleb Williams) with the top selection this April.

Poles’ move last year paved the way for Fields, 25, to cement his status as the quarterback of the future in Chicago. He saw incremental growth in a number of passing categories in 2023 while remaining a threat with his legs. However, Fields’ performance (and that of the team as a whole during the first half of the campaign in particular) was not sufficient to convince Poles to again trade out of the chance to draft a new franchise passer. He, head coach Matt Eberflus and many Bears players publicly praised the Ohio State product but for some time it has been clear a trade would take place.

The matter of Fields’ market has led to challenges for Chicago’s front office. A shortlist of logical landing spots was in place before the outset of free agency, but very few teams made an aggressive push to acquire him knowing Poles was in position to sell at a low price. As one veteran QB domino fell after another this past week – including, perhaps most importantly, Kirk Cousins signing with the Falcons – signs increasingly pointed to Fields being destined for a QB2 gig. A team such as the Rams had been floated as a reasonable spot, but Los Angeles has just added Jimmy Garoppolo as its backup. That left Pittsburgh as one of the few remaining teams without a relatively certain quarterback depth chart in place.

Poles made it clear at the Combine that he wanted Fields’ future to be sorted out as soon as possible. While the Bears have indeed “done right” by him with this deal getting finalized well before the draft, it obviously marks a massive disappointment given the move to trade up and select him three years ago. Like fellow 2021 first-round draftees Trey Lance and Mac Jones, however, Fields has now been dealt to a new team with the possibility of a fresh start. The latter has one year remaining on his rookie contract, but Pittsburgh could add another via the fifth-year option. Picking up that $25.6MM option would come as a major surprise, however, given the fact Wilson will serve as the starter in 2024.

For the coming campaign, though, the Steelers will have a highly cost-effective QB room. Wilson signed for $1.2MM since he is owed $39MM guaranteed from the Broncos. Fields’ 2024 cap hit, meanwhile, will check in at just over $3.2MM. Those two passers will each have plenty to play for in the coming campaign as they spearhead the transition to an offense guided by new OC Arthur Smith and which no longer features wideout Diontae Johnson.

Reacting to the news of the deal, Fields has offered a farewell to Chicago after three seasons in the city. The Bears – a team which has made several moves to augment its skill-position corps this week – will prepare to move in a new direction next moth when they add a passer first overall. As they look to break through for a postseason win for the first time since 2016, meanwhile, the Steelers will boast an intriguing quarterback room featuring little certainty beyond the coming campaign.

Ely Allen contributed to this post.

Steelers To Trade Kenny Pickett To Eagles

March 15th, 2024 at 11:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

So much for Russell Wilson needing to compete for the Steelers’ starting job. Hours after the Steelers announced the Wilson signing, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson reports they are preparing to trade Kenny Pickett to the Eagles.

The Steelers will indeed send Pickett to the Eagles in a pick-swap trade, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Two years remain on the former first-rounder’s contract. Pickett will be set to back up Jalen Hurts in Philly. Here is how the trade will break down:

Eagles receive:

Kenny Pickett
2024 No. 120 overall pick

Steelers receive:

2024 No. 98 overall pick
Eagles’ two highest 2025 seventh-round choices

Demoted for Mason Rudolph late last season, Pickett wanted to move on. While competition was reported initially, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport indicates the behind-closed-doors understanding upon the Steelers signing Wilson pointed to the former Pro Bowler being the starter and Pickett staying at QB2. Pickett, then, preferred a fresh start, Schefter adds.

This development may not have been the team’s plan when the offseason began. Mike Tomlin had said Pickett would be given the QB1 job but that he would need to earn it by winning a competition. The Steelers did not observe Pickett handle the Wilson news well, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac. After indicating he was fine competing for the job, Pickett soured on the situation once the Wilson signing became imminent, SI.com’s Albert Breer tweets.

Following Pickett’s disappointment when the team kept Rudolph in the lineup late last year — a stretch that featured Pickett, per Dulac, refusing to dress as the emergency third QB in Week 17 — the team is moving on. Pickett had made it clear to teammates he thought he was the better option to close last season, via ESPN’s Kimberley Martin. Some in the building, however, believed Rudolph was the better option for 2024. In fairness to Pickett, veteran reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala indicates the Steelers reneged on their pledge that he would compete for the job upon informing him Wilson would take over.

Famous for his “volunteers, not hostages” M.O., Tomlin will sign off on this early separation. Rudolph has since signed with the Titans, putting the Steelers in the market for a backup QB once again. They released Mitch Trubisky earlier this year; he has since returned to the Bills.

A New Jersey native, Pickett grew up an Eagles fan. He then became quite familiar with the Steelers while playing at Pitt. The Steelers chose Pickett 20th overall in 2022, naming him as Ben Roethlisberger‘s heir apparent. But Pickett has not shown much to indicate he could fill those shoes. He will now join Sam Howell and Desmond Ridder as 2022 draftees (and primary 2023 starters) traded over the past two days. The 2022 draft class received low marks at the time; other than Brock Purdy, the early returns have not been good.

Due to signing bonus proration, the Steelers will eat more than $8MM in dead money on this trade. Of course, they are set to pay their new starter the veteran minimum as the Broncos pick up the tab. Wilson alluded to a potential competition at his morning presser Friday, but it is probably clear he was informed that would not happen. Two years remain on Pickett’s rookie contract; the Eagles will have the 25-year-old passer tied to $985K and $2.6MM base salaries.

Pickett ranked 27th in QBR last season and 20th in 2022. The ’22 placement came well ahead of Wilson, who submitted a stunningly woeful season alongside Nathaniel Hackett in his Denver debut. Wilson improved under Sean Payton, but the Broncos still bailed — after some back-and-forth drama — before the veteran’s 2025 salary could become guaranteed this month. The Steelers have largely used homegrown rookies at quarterback this century, going from Roethlisberger to Pickett. While Kordell Stewart held the reins for much of the previous decade, the team did use free agent pickup Tommy Maddox in what became a stopgap capacity ahead of Roethlisberger’s near-two-decade-long tenure.

Wilson, 35, will be set to operate in a bridge capacity as well. Though, it should not be expected the Steelers use a high draft choice to add an heir apparent this year. Despite Wilson’s step back in Denver — one that could potentially threaten his Hall of Fame status — Pittsburgh is set to give him the keys. Dulac adds this is the quickest the Steelers have jettisoned a first-round pick since releasing 1996 Round 1 tackle Jamain Stephens following his second season.

On Feb. 29, GM Omar Khan said he had full faith in Pickett. While he cited competition as important for the would-be third-year starter, a recent report also indicated a meeting between the QB and new OC Arthur Smith went well. But the Wilson news emerged soon after. While Wilson has not shown much of his Seahawks form since the 2022 blockbuster trade, Pickett winning a potential competition seemed unrealistic. There will now be no competition involving Pickett this year, as Hurts is entrenched as the Eagles’ starter.

Pickett has thrown just 13 touchdown passes in 25 games, starting 24 of those. Although the Steelers rolled out a poor offense for most of Pickett’s tenure, he showed some promise late in his rookie season. But 2022’s top QB pick did not build on that form last season. This led to OC Matt Canada being fired. This preceded a Pickett ankle injury that required surgery. The 6-foot-3 passer will carry just a 6.3 yards-per-attempt figure to Philly, which did not re-sign Marcus Mariota this offseason.

Steelers Sign QB Russell Wilson

March 15th, 2024 at 10:22am CST by Ely Allen

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.

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.

Broncos Release Russell Wilson

March 13th, 2024 at 8:00pm CST by Adam La Rose

MARCH 13: The Broncos have officially released Wilson, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. This paves the way for the quarterback to officially ink a contract with the Steelers.

Denver designated Wilson as a post-June 1 cut, meaning the team will take on dead cap hits of $53MM in 2024 and $32MM in 2025. According to Michael Ginnitti of Spotrac, the team will absorb the pricier of the two hits this year. The $53MM hit represents the priciest dead cap hit in NFL history, topping the Falcons’ $40.5MM Matt Ryan number from 2022, and it will account for 20.5 percent of the team’s adjusted salary cap in 2024. Still, this was the expected move, as the Broncos’ decision to cut Wilson after the start of free agency made the designation possible.

MARCH 4: As expected, Russell Wilson‘s Broncos tenure will end after two seasons. The team announced on Monday that the former Super Bowl winner will be released after the start of the new league year.

Wilson has confirmed the move in a farewell message to Denver after a short-lived stint in the city. Acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Seahawks in 2022, he endured a highly underwhelming first campaign with the Broncos. Improvement was seen under Sean Payton this past year, but the 35-year-old’s fate appeared to be sealed when he was benched late in the campaign.

That decision (which came after the team’s playoff chances had essentially been extinguished) was driven in part by Denver’s attempts to have Wilson push back the vesting date for his 2025 injury guarantee. The nine-time Pro Bowler declined to do so, and no adjustments were ultimately made to his pact – a five-year, $245MM extension inked not long after arriving in the Mile High City. Given the other compensation already owed, though, the Broncos will be hit with a considerable cap crunch by moving on.

Denver would have incurred an $85MM dead cap charge be releasing Wilson right away. By waiting until after the start of free agency (March 13), the option of designating him a post-June 1 release will come into play. That route will not yield any cap savings and produce $35.4MM in dead money in 2024, but the financial outlook in 2025 and beyond will be much more positive from the team’s perspective (although the $85MM will remain on the team’s cap sheet until June 2). Denver owes Wilson $39MM this season, a portion of which will be offset once he signs with a new team.

Given the guaranteed compensation coming the way of the former Walton Payton Man of the Year winner, though, many have speculated he will sign for the league minimum with an interested team. The market Wilson will now generate will be a key offseason storyline and represent one of the major dominoes in the 2024 QB carousel. His play under Payton (26:8 touchdown-to-interception ratio, 98.0 passer rating) was not sufficient for the parties to continue their relationship, but it could encourage QB-needy teams to at least take a flier on him.

Wilson made it clear in the wake of his benching that he intended to remain in Denver for 2024 and beyond, but he also acknowledged the strong possibility he would be let go. Now that the team’s decision is clear, he can turn his attention to the third chapter of his career. Following a decorated Seattle stint including a pair of Super Bowl appearances, Wilson will need to rebuild his value with his next opportunity.

For the Broncos, meanwhile, today’s news confirms the post-Peyton Manning situation under center has still not been resolved on a long-term basis. The Broncos’ Week 1 starter in 2024 will be their seventh different signal-caller to start a campaign in the nine years since Manning’s retirement. Payton has publicly endorsed Jarrett Stidham (who took over from Wilson), but a draft investment would come as no surprise.

Denver is among the teams which have been tapped as a potential trade-up candidate. The Broncos’ ability to stay within striking distance of the playoffs for much of the year left them 12th in the draft order as things stand. Several of the 2024 class’ top passers will be off the board by that point, so an aggressive (and, in terms of draft capital, costly) move will be required to get access to them. Failing that, a second-tier option at the QB spot such as J.J. McCarthy or Bo Nix would be on the team’s radar, and Denver has done homework on that pair.

Regardless of the route taken, expectations will be on Payton to deliver the offensive turnaround his acquisition was in large part predicated on. The longtime Saints head coach brought considerable pedigree with him after a season away from the sidelines, but a disappointing result emerged in his first year. The second will involve a new face under center, just as Wilson will find himself in a different situation.

Giants Meet With Russell Wilson

March 8th, 2024 at 11:13pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Steelers became the first team connected to Russell Wilson following the news of his imminent Broncos release, but one other team was believed to be in on the decorated quarterback. It appears the Giants are that mystery suitor.

Wilson has already met with — or is meeting with — the Giants, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. The two-year Broncos quarterback was recently at an airport in Newark. While Wilson arrived in Pittsburgh for a Steelers meeting Friday, the 35-year-old passer appears squarely on the Giants’ radar. The Broncos are allowing Wilson to negotiate with teams before his actual release.

Wilson’s Giants meeting can be labeled an “exploratory” session, Schefter adds, confirming the Pittsburgh trip is a go. The Giants fit would seem a bit clunkier, due to Daniel Jones‘ 2024 guaranteed salary, but GM Joe Schoen has frequently mentioned the team will add a QB this offseason. What remains to be seen is how the Giants will go about doing that.

They have been increasingly tied to an effort to trade up for a passer or select one at No. 6. A Wilson addition would stand to be a different route altogether, and the team would then seemingly be signing off on a Wilson-Jones competition despite the $40MM-AAV contract it gave its starter last March. The Giants can reasonably escape that contract in 2025.

Financially, a Wilson move would be a creative effort on the Giants’ part. Due to offset language in his current contract, Wilson can sign with his next team for the league minimum and stick the Broncos with the rest of the bill. Although Wilson made a point to thank several of his former teammates in a farewell post, he unsurprisingly omitted Sean Payton and George Paton when confirming he was done in Denver. Wilson has confirmed the Broncos attempted to convince him to move the vesting date for his 2025 guarantee; he refused, which will led to an official exit March 13 (as a post-June 1 cut).

That drama would benefit the accomplished passer’s next team, which would be able to add a former franchise QB at a significant discount. Wilson is currently tied to a $49MM-per-year Broncos deal; he played on a $35MM-AAV Seahawks pact from 2019-21. While attached to the latter deal, Wilson famously made a list of acceptable trade destinations. The Bears, Saints, Raiders and Cowboys initially made that 2021 list, but the then-Seahawks starter amended it to include the Broncos and Giants. He ended up waiving his no-trade clause for Denver, which proved to be a poor fit.

The Giants have Jones and Tommy DeVito under contract for 2024; they are not expected to re-sign Tyrod Taylor. Jones is on track to be ready for training camp, though four-plus months still remain until that point on his ACL rehab journey. Wilson has expressed obvious interest in becoming a starter again. With Schoen repeatedly indicating Jones will be the starter when he returns, it would seem the Giants would not be the favorite to secure Wilson’s services. Though, it will depend on just how many teams are truly interested.

Schefter also mentions the Raiders as a possibility, but that is not certain yet. Antonio Pierce has made no secret of the team’s interest in adding a long-term option; at this stage, Wilson does not qualify as such. The Raiders have joined the Giants in being regularly linked to a first-round trade-up maneuver.

Steelers To Meet With QB Russell Wilson

March 8th, 2024 at 8:45am CST by Adam La Rose

MARCH 8: It is looking like Wilson’s Steelers visit will take place soon. The decorated quarterback was spotted Friday morning catching a flight to Pittsburgh from a Newark airport, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Thus far, the Steelers have been the only team connected to meeting with the soon-to-be released QB. The meeting will, in fact, occur within the next 24 hours, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini. Wilson will meet with Mike Tomlin and other Steelers brass soon.

MARCH 7: As expected, Russell Wilson will not be in Denver for the 2024 season. His next destination is unknown, but an early potential suitor has emerged.

The Steelers are interested in the former Super Bowl winner, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. He adds that a visit which would take place before the start of free agency next week is being tentatively planned. Wilson will not be released until the new league year officially opens (on March 13), but he has been granted permission to find a new home in the meantime.

Wilson’s market will be an interesting one given his financial situation. $39MM in 2024 compensation is already guaranteed from the Broncos – less the presumed league minimum salary paid by his new team – so he can be added at a fraction of the cost of other available quarterbacks. The 35-year-old showed signs of improvement during his one-and-done campaign under Sean Payton, but he still fell well short of expectations given his five-year, $245MM extension signed upon arrival in Denver.

The Steelers have been floated as a potential Wilson landing spot given their uncertainty under center. 2022 first-rounder Kenny Pickett is atop the depth chart for the time being, but it is well known the team will add competition in the offseason. Mason Rudolph – who occupied the starting role even after Picket was healthy toward the end of the 2023 campaign – is in discussion on another Pittsburgh re-up, but the release of Mitch Trubisky opened up room for an additional experienced option.

Wilson could fill that vacancy and in doing so provide stability at the QB spot relative to Pickett’s injury-marred and inconsistent tenure. However, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler notes the Steelers are expected to provide the Pitt alum with another opportunity as a starter under new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. The ex-Falcons head coach enjoyed success at the coordinator level overseeing a ground-heavy approach with the Titans, and a similar setup could be used in Pittsburgh in 2024.

Dulac notes Wilson is interested in the Steelers, but he adds the longtime Seahawks starter is also in conversation with “at least one other team” at this point. An agreement could be in place at any time before or after free agency, but Pittsburgh and any other suitors will no doubt weigh other options on the QB market before circling back to Wilson. In any event, he could have at least a few opportunities to choose from once his Broncos release is finalized and he can officially join a third career franchise.

Russell Wilson Free To Negotiate With Teams

March 6th, 2024 at 8:06am CST by Adam La Rose

MARCH 6: Although Wilson will remain a Bronco until March 13, the team will extend this free agency preview of sorts to include in-person visits with other clubs, per ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter. An unofficial agreement could conceivably commence before free agency starts, though teams interested in Wilson likely will be interested in seeing how other QB dominoes fall before committing.

MARCH 5: The Broncos officially announced on Monday that Russell Wilson will be let go, marking an end to his disappointing stint with the team. The move will not be made until the new league year begins, but Wilson could have a new agreement in place by that point.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports Denver has no issue with Wilson immediately negotiating with prospective teams. The outgoing veteran passer is still under contract with the Broncos (and will be until March 13), but with his fate already known the team will allow him to begin seeking out his next home. Wilson is therefore, for all intents and purposes, already a free agent.

With $39MM in compensation guaranteed for 2024 by the Broncos, an acquiring team will not be obligated to add the Super Bowl winner on a lucrative pact. Any base salary Wilson signs for will offset part of Denver’s obligations to him. Given the state of the 35-year-old’s value, though, a short-term pact at a low cost will likely be the means by which he begins the third chapter of his NFL career.

A number of teams will be in the market for a veteran passer as the offseason unfolds. Wilson will not be as in-demand as the likes of Kirk Cousins or Baker Mayfield, but he could be viewed as having higher upside than other bridge options such as Jacoby Brissett and Ryan Tannehill. While the Broncos could be in the market for an experienced signal-caller to take Wilson’s place, the top incumbent passer on the roster will likely receive the first chance to earn the starting gig.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network notes Jarrett Stidham is in place to take on QB1 duties, especially if Denver does not add a quarterback in the first round of April’s draft (video link). Plenty could change under center in the coming months, but Payton has thrown his support behind Stidham (who signed a two-year deal last offseason) before and after he filled in for Wilson following the latter’s benching. Resources will be limited if the Broncos aim to add a pricey free agent, of course, given the cap consequences of Wilson’s release.

On that point, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports Denver has not yet decided how to handle the move to cut Wilson. A guaranteed $22MM payment owed next week either as an option bonus or, if declined, base salary, will affect the cap charges associated with the release. The team will be hit with $35.4MM in dead money in 2024 and $49.6MM next season if the option is picked up, or cap charges of $53MM and $32MM if not. The Broncos will make a decision on how to structure Wilson’s contract while he begins the process of landing a new one.

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