Russell Wilson, formerly of the Seahawks and Broncos, inked a one-year contract to play quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the next season, adding another Super Bowl winner to the AFC North.
Jackson Lamar. Burrow, Joe. Watson Deshaun. Russell Wilson now comes into play.
These four quarterbacks will comprise the AFC North in the upcoming season.
Wilson, who hasn’t yet been officially released by Denver, was told at the beginning of the current league year that he will be joining Pittsburgh, the Browns’ fiercest rival, in 2024. It is anticipated that the Super Bowl winner would sign a team-friendly contract with Pittsburgh because the Broncos still owe him over $35.4 million this season. For the upcoming season, Wilson’s vet minimum would be $1.21 million.
Wilson had a bit of a comeback season in Denver before moving to Pittsburgh. In 15 games, the 35-year-old quarterback only threw for slightly over 3,000 yards but 26 touchdowns and only eight interceptions. Wilson threw for 134 yards and a touchdown in the Broncos’ 29-12 victory over the Browns in Week 12. Wilson also scored a touchdown on the ground. Wilson’s record versus Cleveland now stands at 3-0 thanks to the; his first two victories came in his ten years in Seattle.
Ultimately, because Wilson’s contract included money guaranteed for injuries, head coach Sean Payton benched him for the final two games of the season. Should the seasoned signal caller have suffered a major injury during the last two weeks of Denver’s season, a $37 million base salary would have been due in 2025. If he was still on the roster on March 17, that identical percentage of his contract was supposed to become guaranteed later that week.
Rather, in order to spread his enormous $85 million dead cap cost over the following two seasons, Denver will be parting ways with the 12-year veteran when the new league year starts at 4 p.m. on Wednesday and classifying him as a post-June 1 cut.
Wilson joins Pittsburgh’s quarterback room after head coach Mike Tomlin informed reporters at his press conference at the end of the season that they would be seeking to boost competition at the position. At the same time, even though veteran Mason Rudolph was supposed to lead the team in their playoff loss to Buffalo, Tomlin solidified 2022 first-round pick Kenny Pickett as the team’s best signal caller.
Even if Wilson is only signed for a year, it’s uncertain what the addition of Wilson will mean for Pickett’s future in Pittsburgh because Rudolph will become a free agent this week. Wilson will have the chance to rebuild his value as he moves into the later stages of his career by signing a “prove it” deal with the Steelers while still earning money with Denver.