BREAKING: Russell Wilson to Sign 1-Year Deal with Pittsburgh Steelers

Former Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos quarterback, and eight-time Pro Bowler Russell Wilson has found a new home for the 2024-25 NFL season, signing a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

After a tumultuous two years with the Broncos that saw no playoff appearances but improvement in Year 2, Wilson was released by Denver in early March despite having a massive contract remaining. The Broncos will pay Wilson $39 million over each of the next two seasons, offering other teams the chance to get the veteran on their roster for cheap.

Sources: Former #Broncos QB Russell Wilson plans to sign with the #Steelers when the league year begins.

He recently visited PIT, along with the #Giants. With Denver paying most of the $39M this season, it’s a cheap starting QB option to compete with Kenny Pickett. pic.twitter.com/vK66joBbw5
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 11, 2024

As far as the quarterback position goes in Pittsburgh, Mason Rudolph is a free agent, and incumbent Kenny Pickett is anything but a sure-fire answer at the position. Wilson can compete for the starting job in training camp, and should earn the Week 1 starting position with ease, in my opinion.

The Steelers were inked early as one of my potential landing spots for Wilson’s services in 2024, and Pittsburgh was reportedly the last team standing after interest from the New York Giants.

Wilson joins the Steelers on a one-year, $1.21 million veteran minimum deal, with the Broncos paying the remaining $38 million that he’s owed in 2024-25.

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Wilson’s fit in Pittsburgh is low-risk, high-reward. Financially, the Steelers don’t risk much of anything at all. And if Pickett wins the starting job and Wilson rides the bench: the Steelers will have one of, if not the most, credible backup quarterbacks in the league. It’s a win-win.

For Wilson, it’s a chance to get back to the playoffs and re-establish his legacy in the twilight of his career. Wilson’s two years with the Broncos have left a bad taste in the mouths of many, but a playoff appearance in Pittsburgh could potentially erase his Denver shortcomings. Under Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh is a perennial playoff threat, and in the past couple seasons, with a solid defense and offensive pieces starting to come together, the team has been a solid starting quarterback away from true contention.

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Wilson went 11-19 over 30 starts in two seasons with Denver, throwing for 6,594 yards and 42 passing touchdowns, both 10th all-time in Broncos history. Wilson also tossed 19 interceptions and completed just 63.3% of his passes with a career-low 7.1 yards per attempt over the last two seasons.

With Sean Payton’s arrival in Denver in 2023, the writing on the wall became quickly apparent Wilson was not the favored quarterback of the new head coach. Despite this, Wilson and the Broncos rattled off a five-game mid-season winning streak that nearly got Denver in playoff position. After a 26-23 Christmas Eve loss to the New England Patriots, Wilson never took another snap for the Broncos, with Jarrett Stidham starting the last two games.

How will Wilson fare in Pittsburgh? Will he win the starting job by Week 1? And can the Steelers make the playoffs in a competitive AFC North behind the veteran quarterback’s services? To join the conversation, be sure to connect with Sak Sports Blog on Twitter or on Facebook!