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Russell WilsonThe first NFL stop was phenomenal, as he played at a near Hall of Fame level for the Seattle Seahawks. Then Wilson’s two seasons with the Denver Broncos It went so wrong that it will fall among the worst trades and contracts in NFL history.
We’ll see what the third act has in store for us. Wilson announced on social media on Sunday that he plans to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers, confirming multiple media reports. The terms of the agreement were not announced but ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported it was a one-year deal in which the Broncos will also pay $38 million of Wilson’s salary in 2024.
What to expect from Wilson in Pittsburgh
Two years ago, when the Broncos traded for Wilson, there was a lot of excitement about what was to come. This time no one knows what will happen next.
Wilson couldn’t have found a much better situation to turn his career around. The Steelers are a perennial winner coming off another trip to the playoffs. They have talent on both sides of the ball and a respected head coach in Mike Tomlin.
What they didn’t have was an answer at quarterback. Steelers drafted Kenny Pickett in the first round two years ago, and the signing of Wilson indicates that the team has soured on that experiment. They get a veteran option at quarterback with a lot of success in his past and also a Super Bowl ring.
The Steelers didn’t have much cap space, but that wasn’t a problem with Wilson because the Broncos owed him a big salary through 2024. And because of the offset language, Wilson could sign for the veteran’s minimum with his new team. He is a good option for both sides. It’s an almost risk-free acquisition for the Steelers and an opportunity for Wilson to change his legacy again.
Russell Wilson improved last season
The refrain after the Broncos hired Sean Payton as their head coach a year ago was that he was in charge of fixing Wilson. And in a way he did.
Wilson was much better last season than he was under Nathaniel Hackett in 2022. Hackett was way over his head as an NFL head coach and everything on that Broncos team was horrible, including Wilson. Wilson looked like one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL that season.
Wilson didn’t live up to what the Broncos gave for him in a trade or the contract extension he signed (after all, the Broncos decided to cut him and accept an $85 million dead cap hit), but he was better . His completion percentage increased from 60.5 in 2022 to 66.4 last season. He threw for 26 touchdowns, up from 16 the year before. He reduced his interceptions from 11 to eight. His passer rating was 98, after posting an 84.4 with Hackett.
He wasn’t exactly the player who made nine Pro Bowls in 10 seasons with the Seahawks, but he was better. He’s good enough that at 35 he’ll have another chance to rewrite his legacy.
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