Russell Wilson Signs Veteran Minimum With Pittsburgh Steelers

Following a dismal previous two seasons with the Denver Broncos, quarterback Russell Wilson has signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Though signing a five-year $245 million deal with Denver in 2022, Wilson was cut from the team before free agency. As he comes to Pittsburgh, the 35-year-old will only make a league minimum of $1.21 million for the 2024 season.

Wilson’s salary with the Steelers is similar to any backup quarterback in the league, so the signing was a low-risk, high-reward situation for the team. Though he’ll be the new guy in town, Wilson will still have to compete for the starting role against Kenny Pickett, who has led the team for the past few years.

Though the money Wilson will be making is a staggering difference from the contract he signed with the Broncos, his move to the Steelers on a minimum deal isn’t the worst thing in the world. Because he was released by the team, Wilson is still owed money from Denver and will be paid a total of $37.7 million for next season. By signing a much smaller contract, Wilson actually disadvantaged his old team, because if he were to make more money Denver would only have to pay the remaining difference in the two salaries. Instead, he signed the smallest contract possible, resulting in Denver having to pay a large majority of the remaining money owed.

Even though he put his old team in a worse situation, it is likely that the deal Wilson was offered from Pittsburgh was similar to that around the league. Following his poor showings in Denver, Wilson was not a high-value free agent, but his one year with the Steelers could change that narrative, and maybe provide a larger contract in the future.

In his two seasons with the Broncos, Wilson threw for 42 touchdowns and 19 interceptions with an average quarterback rating of 91.2. He looked better in his second year with the team under head coach Sean Payton but was eventually benched in the final games of the regular season. The Broncos held a combined 13-21 record with Wilson at the helm, and could never repeated the playoff success he found with the Seattle Seahawks.

Though it might be hard to remember his ability following his time in Denver, Wilson is a Super Bowl-winning quarterback and has shown top-tier skill from his time in Seattle. He comes to Pittsburgh with a Hall of Fame resume, but Wilson will still have to compete with Pickett for the starting job and a chance at another contract. The Steelers have finished third in the AFC East in the past two seasons with Pickett leading the team, but the experience of Wilson could prove beneficial in the extremely competitive division. 

It’s been a tough last few years for Wilson, so hopefully he can make the best of it.