STEELERS TRANSFER NEWS…
QB Russell Wilson declined a $78.5 million contract with the Steelers.
Another senior quarterback is expected to enter the free agent market in 2024 after the Denver Broncos formally declared on Monday that they intended to release veteran quarterback Russell Wilson. Wilson’s large deal made it unlikely that the Broncos could find a trade partner, therefore the move was anticipated. Wilson will be a free agent for the first time in his career as a result of the transfer.
The move comes just two seasons after the Broncos traded the farm for Wilson, receiving a sizable package in return for Russell Wilson and a 2022 fourth-round pick. That package included quarterback Drew Lock, defensive tackle Shelby Harris, tight end Noah Fant, and two first-round, two second-round, and a fifth-round pick.
Adding insult to injury, Denver signed him to a five-year, $245 million contract extension after the trade, including a $50 million signing bonus, only to move on two years later. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero notes that the Broncos will owe Wilson $39 million guaranteed this year, minus the salary he’ll receive from signing with a new team, with financial implications through the 2026 season.
Adding even more insult to injury is a look back at the assets the Broncos could have drafted With the first-round picks the Seahawks received in the trade, they drafted tackle Charles Cross and cornerback Devon Witherspoon. Witherspoon, in particular, was stellar in Year 1 for the Seahawks, making the Pro Bowl following a season where he produced one interception (a 97-yard pick-six), a forced fumble, three sacks and 79 total tackles, including 8 tackles for loss.
Wilson’s status as an impending free agent means he’ll now join veterans Kirk Cousins, Baker Mayfield, Mason Rudolph, Ryan Tannehill, Joe Flacco and Jacoby Brissett among others in the open market this offseason as a potential option for the Steelers to consider, should they look to move on from third-year quarterback Kenny Pickett. Despite his challenging tenure with the Broncos, it seems likely that Wilson would only come to terms with a team in free agency with the expectation that he’s signing as the starting quarterback. That being said, it seems that a Steelers-Russell Wilson pairing is unlikely if there’s any truth behind GM Omar Khan’s open support for Pickett at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine.
Over 15 games in 2023, Wilson totaled 3,097 passing yards, 26 touchdowns and 8 interceptions while ranking seventh in the league with a 98.0 NFL passer rating (min. 200 dropbacks).