While Russell Wilson isn’t the best quarterback available in the NFL this offseason the Super Bowl champion and nine-time Pro Bowl selection is generating significant interest from around the league. Ahead of NFL free agency, here’s the latest on where things stand with the veteran quarterback.
The Denver Broncos announced on March 4 that they would release Wilson at the start of the 2024 league year. Just a few years removed from trading multiple first-round picks to the Seattle Seahawks for him, Denver officially cut the cord on Wilson before the first year of his five-year $145 million contract extension kicked in.
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- Russell Wilson stats 2023: 98.0 QB rating, 66.4% completion rate, 26-8 TD-INT, 3,070 passing yards, 6.9 yards per attempt, 7-8 record
Denver is left with an $85 million cap hit, the largest in NFL history and more than double the next closest dead-cap hits in league history. Meanwhile, as the Broncos’ front office trims the roster to deal with the sizable cap hit, their quarterback is generating plenty of interest on the open market.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano wrote Sunday that while the New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers have already met with Wilson, he doesn’t believe they’ll be the last to do so. While there are more in-demand quarterbacks in NFL free agency, Wilson’s contract situation makes him extremely attractive. The NFL insider also believes the Las Vegas Raiders are a team to “watch closely” for Wilson.
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Regarding Pittsburgh’s interest, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN noted that it’s very real. The meeting he had in Pittsburgh with team officials was “very positive” and the expectation is that Wilson would be the Steelers starting quarterback in 2024 with Kenny Pickett as his backup.
- Russell Wilson salary projection: $1.21 million in 2024 (veteran minimum)
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Wilson is especially appealing to NFL teams because of the contract he will sign. The Broncos owe Wilson $39 million guaranteed this upcoming season, minus the value of the deal he signs with a new club. As a result, he’s ready to sign for close to the veterans minimum. Not only will this allow his new team to spend more on the surrounding roster, it also leaves Denver responsible for almost all of the money it owes him.
As a result, Wilson will be the cheapest starting quarterback in the NFL next season and make even less than quarterbacks taken in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. That’s one of the biggest reasons why he’s on the radar for teams like the Steelers, Giants and Raiders. For now, Pittsburgh seems like the favorite to land him but others remain involved.
