The Cleveland Browns, New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers have been the only teams after free-agent quarterback Russell Wilson this offseason. Already facing a limited market, the veteran signal-caller might not have helped himself with his reported asking price.
After being released by the Denver Broncos last offseason, Wilson signed for the veteran’s minimum with the Steelers. With Denver covering the majority of his salary, it wasn’t a pay cut, as any amount he signed for would just offset what the Broncos paid him. One year later, he’s looking for a much bigger contract.
Related: Latest on the New York Giants’ interest in Russell Wilson
- Russell Wilson stats (ESPN): 95.6 QB rating, 16-5 TD-INT ratio 2,482 passing yards, 7.4 yards per attempt, 63.7% completion rate, 155 rushing yards, 2 rushing touchdowns in 11 games
Pittsburgh has some interest in bringing Wilson back, but only if it is rejected by Aaron Rodgers. Otherwise, Wilson is left with Cleveland and New York which could make it even harder for his contract demands to be met this year.
Tony Grossi of 850 ESPN Cleveland said that Wilson is asking teams for a deal in the ballpark of $20-$30 million per year, with the figure likely to be on the higher side, given the Justin Fields contract with the New York Jets at the start of free agency.
Fields opened the 2024 season as the Steelers starting quarterback and held the job down for six games before being replaced by Wilson. Even after a mid-season benching, the former first-round pick still landed a two-year deal worth $40 million total, including $30 million guaranteed.
Related: Cleveland Browns ‘in play’ for veteran quarterback
The limited interest Wilson has drawn in NFL free agency could prevent him from landing the contract he wants. New York already signed Jameis Winston and NFL rumors continue to point to the Browns selecting Shedeur Sanders with the second overall pick.
If Rodgers lands in Pittsburgh and Cleveland drafts Sanders, the only landing spot left for Wilson is the Giants. At that point, New York will have all the leverage and can dictate contract negotiations. If that doesn’t suit Wilson’s wishes, he might have to wait for a quarterback to get injured before another suitor emerges.
