Russell Wilson is hitting the open market at a difficult time for a quarterback on the second nine of his career.
With as many as six signal-callers expected to be selected in the first round of next month’s NFL draft, there are only a handful of potential destinations that make sense for the former Super Bowl champion. Wilson, 35, was informed by the Denver Broncos on Monday that he will be released after two disappointing seasons with the team.
While DraftKings is offering odds on 24 potential destinations for Wilson, only five have odds shorter than +1800.
PITTSBURGH STEELERS (-200)
Despite a report by the Athletic that Pittsburgh is not interested in signing Wilson, the Steelers remain the -200 favorite to be the team with which he takes his first snap in 2024. That’s slightly longer odds than the -225 odds Pittsburgh had last week, when Broncos coach Sean Payton said at the Scouting Combine that an official decision on Wilson’s future had yet to be made.
The Steelers spent a 2022 first-round pick on Kenny Pickett, but it was veteran backup Mason Rudolph who led Pittsburgh to the playoffs when Pickett was injured and then got the postseason start even when Pickett was healthy.
That has led many to speculate that the Steelers will be in the market for a veteran who can immediately boost Pittsburgh’s contender status.
The Steelers also are among the favorites to land Chicago’s Justin Fields (+225) and Minnesota’s Kirk Cousins (+1000).
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (+275)
The Raiders also are likely in the market for a veteran quarterback, having finished last season with rookie Aidan O’Connell under center after Jimmy Garoppolo was benched. There are a few hurdles when projecting Wilson to Las Vegas.
The Raiders got a first-hand look at Wilson over the past two seasons. He had been benched by Denver’s season-ending loss at Las Vegas in Week 17 but was put in the role of game manager when the teams opened the season, throwing for a pair of touchdowns but only 177 yards in a 34-27 Raiders victory.
Wilson went 0-3 as a starter against Las Vegas during his two years with Denver. The Raiders also play in one of the NFL’s most difficult divisions that has a pair of franchise quarterbacks in Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Las Vegas also is +650 to acquire Fields and +1000 to sign Cousins.
ATLANTA FALCONS (+475)
Atlanta toggled between second-year quarterback Desmond Ridder and journeyman Taylor Heineke last season. New coach Raheem Morris has made it clear that he sees an upgrade at the position as an offseason priority.
The Falcons are expected to be more interested in Cousins and are the -225 favorite to sign him. They are also the +110 favorites to land Fields. That puts Wilson on the backburner, and his opportunities elsewhere could be dictated by what direction Atlanta ultimately goes at quarterback.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (+800)
The Patriots hold the No. 3 overall pick in the draft. Assuming Chicago tabs Williams at No. 1, that puts New England in position to land North Carolina’s Drake Maye or LSU’s Jayden Daniels, depending upon what Washington does at No. 2.
If the Patriots see either as a franchise quarterback, they could be interested in Wilson as a mentor and/or one-year stop gap to the future. If they don’t hold Maye or Daniels in that light, Wilson could provide stability for an offense that has floundered the past two years under Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS (+950)
Cousins and Wilson are both veterans but with different skillsets. Cousins is the prototype pocket passer while Wilson is much more of a playmaker outside the pocket.
The Vikings know what they have in Cousins, who has led Minnesota to the playoffs in three of his six seasons with the team. Could they be interested in making a switch to Wilson, a proven playoff winner who also throws one of the best deep balls in the league?
Minnesota almost certainly wants a proven veteran under center with a roster primed to be highly competitive in the NFC. The Vikings also need to contend in their own division with the Detroit Lions coming off a run to the NFC Championship Game and a Green Bay Packers team that fell one half short of meeting them there.
BITING A RECORD BULLET
By releasing Wilson, the Broncos will be cutting the chord on what will go down as arguably the worst trade in NFL history.
It most definitely serves as the biggest financial hit a team has endured, with Denver on the hook for a record dead-cap hit of $85 million. The Broncos must release him before March 17, when Wilson’s contract calls for $37 million in salary guarantees for the 2025 season.
The nine-time Pro Bowl pick was acquired from the Seahawks prior to the 2022 season for three players and five draft choices. The Broncos then gave him a five-year, $242.5 million contract extension before he even played for the club.
There wasn’t much bang for the buck with Wilson compiling an 11-19 record in 30 starts. Wilson had 16 touchdown passes against 11 interceptions in 2022 and improved the marks to 26 and 8, respectively, last season.
Wilson’s $39 million salary for 2024 was already guaranteed.
–Field Level Media