NFL insider predicts Steelers will take a leaf out of Bucs' $100,000,000 playbook to decide Russell Wilson's future
It hasn't quite been the Russell Wilson show so far this year, but the former Seattle Seahawks quarterback has had a taste of redemption, which will taste better than the one left by his acrimonius exit from the Denver Broncos.
After being cut by Denver, Wilson landed in Pittsburgh on a one-year, minimum contract and has since continued Mike Tomlin's streak of making the playoffs. The Steelers have all but wrapped up the No. 3 seed in the AFC.
They came out of a tough division that hosted the Baltimore Ravens (also in the playoffs) and the Cincinnati Bengals (not yet in the playoffs). The question now turns to whether the Steelers will tie Wilson down for the next few years as they look to erase memories of the Kenny Pickett era.
As things stand, the Steelers appear impressed with Wilson's redemption arc and the likelihood, per reports, is that he will return to Pittsburgh next year regardless of how the playoffs turn out.
On The Herd with Colin Cowherd, NFL insider Jordan Schultz said about Wilson's future and how Pittsburgh might approach the situation:
“Before Russell Wilson signed, Tomlin really advocated to ownership and said ‘This is the guy I can build around.’
“Should George Pickens play Week 17, Week 18 maybe, they win a playoff game, there’s a very good chance that the Steelers extend Russell Wilson similarly to what Tampa did with Baker Mayfield which was three years and $100 million.”
Exploring Russell Wilson's contract situation
Wilson's contract situation is a pretty interesting one, but one that's unlikely to be a rarity for much longer.
In 2022, with the Walton ownership looking to make a statement, the Broncos traded for Wilson and handed him an astronomical five-year, $242.6 million contract. With Sean Payton at the helm a year later, the idea was that Wilson would lead Denver all the way to the Lombardi, but that was never close to reality.
The Broncos cut him just two seasons into the new deal, leaving a dead-cap hit of $85 million, the largest in NFL history.
When Wilson signed with the Steelers, he was set to make $39 million in 2024. The Steelers paid $1.21 million, leaving the Broncos to pay the rest. Overall, his contract with Denver laid out $124 million in guarantees, with the Broncos paying out $85 million through 2023. The $39 million was paid after they released him in March this year.
As Wilson's 2024 salary would be subtracted from the total amount the Broncos owed him as part of the 2022 deal, he signed with the Steelers on a one-year rental.
Denver won't owe Russell Wilson any money beyond 2024, leaving him free to sign a new deal with Pittsburgh.