The Denver Broncos could very well move on from quarterback Russell Wilson following a season in which he was benched in favor of Jarrett Stidham for the final two games of the season.
Should Denver cut its losses with Wilson, the 35-year-old will have a decent amount of suitors looking for a veteran signal-caller. The Pittsburgh Steelers fall into that camp, with head coach Mike Tomlin saying last month that Kenny Pickett will be “challenged from a competition perspective moving forward.”
Whether or not the Steelers will have interest in Wilson remains to be seen, but as of now, they are the betting favorite to land the former Super Bowl champion, per DraftKings Sportsbook.
Denver owes Wilson $39 million in guarantees for 2024 as part of the five-year, $245 million extension he signed in 2022. However, holding onto him would mean vesting $37 million for 2025. If the Broncos cut Wilson, they will face dead money charges of $85 million over the next two seasons combined. Wilson threw for 3,070 yards, 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions on 66.4% passing this past season. He finished as the NFL’s eighth-highest-rated passer (98.0).
Broncos general manager George Paton said last month that the door remains open for Wilson to return in 2024.
“The door remains open with Russ,” Paton said. “I’ve had good conversations with Russ, and Sean [Payton] has had good conversations. The door is open. We’ll get through the process, and we’ll visit with the coaching staff and scouting staff. We’ll visit with Russ and his people, and we’ll go from there.”
Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields is another option for the Steelers. Fields, the 2021 first-round pick out of Ohio State, could soon be on the trade market if Chicago decides to select a quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick in April’s NFL Draft. Through three seasons, the results have been a mixed bag. Chicago is 10-28 in his starts. He has thrown for 6,674 yards, 40 touchdowns and 30 interceptions on 60.3% passing.
Fields’ strength has been his playmaking ability with his legs, as he has rushed for 2,220 yards and 14 scores. He rushed for 1,143 yards in 2022, the second-most all-time in a single season by a quarterback (Lamar Jackson, 1,206 yards in 2019).
Adam Schefter noted during Monday’s appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” that Tomlin is a “big fan” of Fields.
“We know that Pittsburgh is going to go out and get some sort of quarterback,” Schefter said. “Whether that’s Russell Wilson, Justin Fields. Fields I know, Tomlin is a big fan. We’ll keep that in mind in the offseason in the coming weeks. There will be a decision the organization has to make. But they’re not just going to leave it with Kenny Pickett as the starting quarterback.”
