Russell Wilson. Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Russell Wilson to sign with Steelers on a one-year deal

By Mike Santa Barbara | Last updated 3/11/24

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Wilson plans to sign a "team-friendly" one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

However, Wilson's former team, the Denver Broncos, will be on the hook for roughly $38M of his salary while he plays in the Steel City.

So, Wilson will be a bargain for the Steelers, no matter what he brings, costing just $1.2M against the cap.

Nine-time Pro-Bowl QB and former Super-Bowl champ Russell Wilson plans to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers, per league sources. Wilson will sign a team-friendly, one-year deal in which the Broncos will wind up paying $38 million of his salary while Wilson wears the black and… pic.twitter.com/eqQC8w0tIK
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 11, 2024

Wilson's decision comes shortly after he met with the Steelers and New York Giants about potential openings. Now, he'll join a Pittsburgh team coming off a 10-7 season that was mired in inconsistent quarterback from Kenny Pickett, Mitchell Trubisky and Mason Rudolph.

Seemingly, Wilson will compete with the Steelers 2022 first-round pick for the starting job. Last season, Pickett went 7-5, throwing for 2,070 yards with six touchdowns and four interceptions in 13 starts before ankle surgery cut his season short after Week 12.

Meanwhile, Wilson is coming off a bounce-back season, throwing for 3,070 yards with 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions. However, after going just 7-8 as the Broncos starter, the franchise decided to move in another direction.

The Steelers and Broncos meet in 2024, though it remains to be seen whether Wilson will be the starter then.

If nothing else, Wilson can no longer torture his new head coach Mike Tomlin. In two career starts against the man who is now his boss, the former Super Bowl champion is 2-0 with 645 passing yards, eight touchdowns, no interceptions and a robust 147.1 passer rating.

For the record, Wilson seems extremely excited to join the AFC North. Shortly after news broke of his agreement with the Steelers, he posted a pump-up video featuring "Renegade" by Styx as the soundtrack.