The NFL’s annual free agency frenzy is officially upon us.
There will be dozens of big-time signings in the days to come, but a massive bit of news dropped shortly before midnight on the East Coast on Sunday night, as NFL insiders broke that Russell Wilson is signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The recently released quarterback confirmed the news with a post on social media featuring Pittsburgh's iconic "Renegade" song.
A nine-time Pro Bowler with the Seattle Seahawks, Wilson flamed out over his two seasons with the Denver Broncos. His tenure was such a disaster that Denver released him last week despite incurring an NFL-record $85 million dollar dead cap hit. Wilson's $39 million salary for the season is already guaranteed by the Broncos, which allowed him to sign a team-friendly deal with Pittsburgh.
The likely future Hall of Famer joins Kenny Pickett, who failed to impress after being drafted in the first round by the Steelers in 2021. He’s appeared in 25 games over his first two seasons, throwing only 13 touchdowns to go with 13 interceptions. Pickett played 12 games last season, completing 201-of-324 attempts for 2,070 yards, six touchdowns and four picks for an 81.4 passer rating.
Meanwhile, the Broncos benched Wilson late in the 2023 campaign in favor of Jarrett Stidham. Wilson started 15 games, completing 297-of-447 passes for 3,070 yards, 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions for a 98.0 passer rating.
Wilson’s imminent signing didn’t move the needle much off the bat, as sportsbooks still view the Steelers as distant long shots to win the AFC North. They’re listed at +1200 to win the division at DraftKings, which is well behind the Baltimore Ravens (+110), Cincinnati Bengals (+160) and Cleveland Browns (+550).
