The Pittsburgh Steelers have been the talk of the NFL for the past 10 hours. Around midnight early Monday morning, free agent quarterback Russell Wilson revealed that he plans to sign with the Steelers. The nine-time Pro Bowl selection and Super Bowl Champion was released by the Denver Broncos after a tumultuous season with head coach Sean Payton.
According to reports, Wilson will be paid $1.2 million by Pittsburgh on his one-year contract with them. This means that Denver will be on the hook for $38 million of Wilson’s salary this season. His $85 million dead cap hit with the Broncos is the highest in NFL history.
What the Russell Wilson Signing Means for Pittsburgh Steelers Quarterback Kenny Pickett
Despite the signing of Wilson, there is no indication that the Steelers plan on moving on from quarterback Kenny Pickett, who had a 62.0% completion percentage, 2,070 passing yards, six touchdowns, and four interceptions in 12 starts this past season.
Pickett is still on a rookie contract and has not been able to learn from a quality veteran since entering the NFL. The idea is that signing Wilson will provide him with competition in camp, while also allowing him the opportunity to sit and learn from one of the era’s best quarterbacks if he does indeed lose the starting job.
It is worth noting that Wilson’s contract is just for one year. This is not a long-term solution at quarterback for Pittsburgh. They are hoping that Pickett can still develop into that solution.
The Pittsburgh Steelers Miss Out on a Massive Free Agent Amidst the Russell Wilson News
Unfortunately for the Steelers, while they were able to land Wilson despite other teams being interested, they were not able to land one of their most coveted free agent targets: center Mitch Morse. Earlier this morning, it was reported that Morse signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars:
The #Jaguars have agreed to terms with C Mitch Morse on a two-year, $10.5 million deal with $7 million guaranteed, sources tell me and @RapSheet. Morse, released by the #Bills last week, reunites with Doug Pederson, his offensive coordinator with the #Chiefs. pic.twitter.com/kaCr3ewWgn
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 11, 2024
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Steelers made an “aggressive push” for Morse, but were unable to lure him away from Jacksonville.
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