Charles H. Sloan-Russell Wilson to sign with Steelers after release from Broncos becomes official, per reports

Russell Wilson ended the question of where he would play the 2024 NFL season before free agency officially began,Charles H. Sloan with ESPN and NFL Network reporting Sunday night that he will sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers on a one-year deal.

Wilson, 35, is set to be released by the Denver Broncos this week once the new league year officially begins Wednesday, the organization announced last week. The team will incur a record $85 million in dead cap money over the next two seasons due to the move.

The Steelers are entering a team-friendly deal, according to ESPN, with the Broncos paying approximately $38 million of the guaranteed money he’s owed for this season.

Wilson seemed to confirm the news with a post on social media Sunday night.

Wilson was spotted flying to Pittsburgh through Newark International Airport on Friday. He also met with the New York Giants, according to multiple reports.

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The Steelers drafted Kenny Pickett in the first round (20th overall) of the 2022 draft. Mason Rudolph finished out the year as the team's starter even when Pickett was healthy enough to return from a late-season ankle injury, but he is set to be a free agent.

Both general manager Omar Khan and Steelers coach Mike Tomlin expressed interest in bringing in competition for Pickett for the top job.

"I have full faith in Kenny Pickett," Khan said at the NFL scouting combine. "Obviously there were some issues with the offense, and I'm excited about the impact that (new offensive coordinator) Arthur Smith is going to have on him. I know Arthur's very optimistic about Kenny, and I know they've communicated. And we'll see where it goes. We feel really good about him."

The Broncos traded for Wilson two years ago and signed him to a five-year, $242 million deal. But after Wilson’s first season was borderline disastrous under head coach Nathaniel Hackett and Wilson did not jell with new head coach Sean Payton in his second year, the quarterback's future with the team was thrown into doubt.

During the 2023 campaign, Denver approached Wilson midseason about delaying some of the dates regarding his injury guarantees, and the team later ended up sitting him for the final two games of the season.

Prior to the trade, Wilson was a nine-time Pro Bowl selection and helped the Seattle Seahawks win the franchise's lone Super Bowl title in 2013.