Russell Wilson to sign free agent deal with Steelers
Russell Wilson, a quarterback who has started nine Pro Bowls and won one Super Bowl, is about to sign a contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers, league sources informed ESPN.
Wilson will agree to a one-year contract at $1.2 million, which is the veteran’s minimum. Wilson’s $37.8 million salary will be covered by the Denver Broncos, who informed him last week that he would be released. Wilson will continue to wear the black and yellow uniform.
In a social media post Sunday night, Wilson wrote: “Year 13. Grateful.” With it was an accompanying video of the Steelers and their fans.
Wilson spoke with Steelers executives in Pittsburgh for more than six hours on Friday, with permission from the Broncos, as he is still under contract through the start of the new league year on Wednesday. Arthur Smith, the new offensive coordinator, and coach Mike Tomlin were among the people he met with. The agreement resulted from the parties’ shared interests.
Wilson will now travel to Pittsburgh, where the only quarterback on the team currently under contract is Kenny Pickett, the Steelers’ first-round selection in 2022. Mason Rudolph, who started three games for Pittsburgh last season, is set to become a free agent.
Wilson, 35, was told last week he would be released Wednesday, ending a tumultuous two-season run in which Denver went 11-19 in his starts and failed to make the playoffs. He was benched with two games remaining in the 2023 season, ending the campaign with 3,070 passing yards to go with 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
The Broncos signed Wilson to a five-year, $242.6 million deal after his arrival in a blockbuster trade with the Seattle Seahawks in 2022. Denver will take on an $85 million hit in dead money on its salary cap over the next two seasons because of the release.
Wilson was asked about his future during an appearance on the “I Am Athlete” podcast with former Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall last month and said winning is his highest priority.
“Over the next two years, I want to win two [Super Bowls], I want to feel the chill of that trophy again,” he told Marshall. “I love the city [of Denver] and everything else, but you also want to be [in] a place that wants you too. The thing I want to do is to win; that’s all I care about.”
Wilson has won against the Steelers during his career. In two starts against Tomlin and Pittsburgh, Wilson is 2-0 with eight touchdown passes, no interceptions and a 147.1 passer rating.
The Steelers’ 2024 schedule includes a game in Denver against the Broncos that now could feature Wilson’s return.
