Russell Wilson Signs With Steelers, Leaving Broncos on the Hook
Russell Wilson has already found a new NFL home, and he'll be staying in the AFC. According to multiple reports, which Wilson himself has confirmed on X/Twitter, the 13th-year quarterback has agreed to a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Denver Broncos will pay the lion's share of his 2024 salary due to the team-friendly nature of the deal he accepted with Pittsburgh. The Broncos hoped that the offsetting language in his contract might see another team take on a good chunk of his salary but neither Wilson nor the Steelers had much incentive to make that happen.
"Nine-time Pro-Bowl QB and former Super Bowl champ Russell Wilson plans to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers, per league sources. Wilson will sign a team-friendly, one-year deal in which the Broncos will wind up paying $38 million of his salary while Wilson wears the black and yellow," ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on X.
Wilson joins quarterback Kenny Pickett in Pittsburgh, which signals that the Steelers are ready and willing to let Mason Rudolph depart in free agency. Rudolph has been linked to the Broncos in the NFL rumor mill.
How ironic would it be if Rudolph ended up in the Mile High City? Passing Wilson like two ships in the night.
The NFL's legal tampering window opens on Monday, and Wilson has already found his new team. The Broncos informed him early last week that he'd be released before the new league year opens, giving him permission to negotiate with potential free-agent suitors.
After giving up a king's ransom to acquire Wilson from the Seattle Seahawks, the Broncos didn't get much out of the deal. Wilson produced just 11 victories over his two-year tenure in Denver.
Sean Payton tried to make things work in 2023, paring down his offense into a run-heavy attack. The Broncos offense had its moments with Wilson operating Payton's unit, but they were few and far between.
When the Broncos had been all but eliminated from playoff contention, Payton benched Wilson, which gave Jarrett Stidham a two-game window to audition. Stidham went 1-1 and mostly looked like a replacement-level starter and a bonafide backup.
That move signaled Payton's intention to cut bait with Wilson, and after a long couple of months of waiting, Broncos Country finally got resolution on the matter last week. The team will eat a record-level of dead money on its 2024 salary cap.
The Wilson release was quickly followed by the Broncos parting ways with Pro Bowl safety Justin Simmons, signaling Payton's intention to orchestrate a full rebuild. The Broncos will look to the No. 12 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft as a means to find a future franchise quarterback to anchor said rebuild.
But there's no guarantee Denver will land one of the top QBs in the class, let alone hit don't the draft pick. But the Walton/Penner ownership group is erring on the side of Payton's QB expertise in identifying and developing a long-term answer at the most important position.
Stay tuned.
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