The NFL Free Agency period does not officially begin until Wednesday, but players who were released from their teams instead of having their contracts expire are allowed to meet with organizations. One of the players to take advantage of this was Russell Wilson, who arguably was the most enticing NFL free agent quarterback. News on Sunday night broke that Russell Wilson would indeed sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Wilson recently met with the Steelers, and all news from this meeting seemed to be positive. With Kenny Pickett entering his third NFL season, he will continue to be under contract in Pittsburgh. However, after this news of Russell Wilson to the Steelers, there appears to be a competition brewing.
Russell Wilson to Steelers: How Much Will He Cost?
It’s not very often that a Super Bowl-winning quarterback is released, hitting the open market to choose where he wants to go. That is the situation at hand here, though we know Russell Wilson’s road to Pittsburgh has been a bit less glorious than that. There was a lot of tension at the end of his time in Seattle, then he went to Denver, which was a disaster in nearly every regard. While Wilson did not play terribly last season, it was clear he was not a fit for Sean Payton and the Broncos.
So, Denver released Wilson, taking on the largest dead cap in NFL history. That brings us to today, when Russell Wilson agreed to a one-year deal in Pittsburgh. This Russell Wilson contract will be a veteran minimum, costing the Steelers only $1.2M next season, while the Broncos pay him nearly $40M to not play for their team.
Steelers Quarterback Competition
Having so little invested in Russell Wilson is great for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Yes, this means they have more money to spend elsewhere, helping them build a really talented team. Getting paid so little also means Wilson won’t be handed the starting job. It will be a true competition for the starting gig.
If Russell Wilson wins, which is expected, then he will be in a similar situation to Baker Mayfield last year, hoping to earn a second contract. If he does earn more time in Pittsburgh, then great. If he doesn’t, then he was just a bridge quarterback for the team. Of course, Wilson could also lose out to Pickett. It’s possible the competition brings the best out of Pickett, which is also great news for Pittsburgh, and Wilson would then be a cheap backup quarterback that you could trust to put in the game.
Truly, it’s a win-win situation for Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers to sign Russell Wilson.
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