The 2024 NFL free agency cycle is less than 10 days away, starting on March 13 with the legal tampering period starting two days earlier on March 11. However, before then, teams need to free up cap space and make the necessary, difficult moves to do so.
For the Denver Broncos, they’ve started strong, moving on from quarterback Russell Wilson, ending what was a rough and short chapter between the two. The move allows Denver to avoid an extra future $37 million fully guaranteed and brings on an NFL record $85 million in dead money in 2024.
Russell Wilson Free Agency Landing Spots
Wilson was taken in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks where he spent the first 10 years of his career. He had been with the Broncos since 2022.
The Seahawks traded Wilson and a 2022 fourth-round pick to the Broncos for a 2022 first-round pick, a 2022 second-round pick, a 2022 fifth-round pick, a 2023 first-round pick, a 2023 second-round pick, and three players (tight end Noah Fant, defensive lineman Shelby Harris, and quarterback Drew Lock).
While Wilson also struggled on the field, things soured in Denver when the team threatened to (and eventually did) bench him if he did not make changes to his contract, which was a five-year, $242.5 million deal when he signed it.
In his career, Wilson is a one-time Super Bowl champion, Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year winner, and one-time second-team All-Pro. He is also a nine-time Pro Bowler, having passed for 43,653 yards, 334 touchdowns, and 106 interceptions.
Wilson to the Steel City
Wilson is going to want to go somewhere he can start on Day 1, and the Pittsburgh Steelers fit the bill. After a season in which they made the playoffs and fell in the first round, the Steelers still have an issue at quarterback.
Former first-round pick Kenny Pickett has struggled on the field and with injuries. He’s played in just 25 games, passing for 4,474 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. In his 24 starts, the Steelers have gone 14-10.
Additionally, Mason Rudolph is an impending free agent after starting four games and passing for 719 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions. The team already cut Mitch Trubisky as well, meaning they have to sign another quarterback, one way or another.
Las Vegas Takes a Shot on Wilson
The Las Vegas Raiders are the next team that could make Wilson their starting quarterback. In 2023, the Raiders planned for Jimmy Garoppolo to be their guy, but it ended up being rookie Aidan O’Connell after Garoppolo got benched.
While the Raiders are expected to cut Garoppolo to free up space, O’Connell is likely not the guy going forward either. In 11 games, O’Connell passed for 2,218 yards, 12 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He was taken in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Additionally, new head coach Antonio Pierce has spoken about the need for a quarterback. “I would hope whoever we draft, that’s the route we go, that’s who the starter becomes,” Pierce said at the NFL Combine.
“You don’t want to put a Band-Aid at that position. That’s old … that’s old, man. I think the Raiders … we’ve seen that enough in this organization,” Pierce said. While he isn’t a rookie, Wilson could still be the Raiders’ quarterback for a long time if things work out.
Buccaneers Shock NFL World and Sign Wilson
This one is a long shot, but it’s not impossible. While it’s expected by many that Baker Mayfield will return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after an impressive redemption season, that isn’t a foregone conclusion.
KEEP READING: 2024 NFL Top 100 Free Agent Rankings
“I mean, we’ve all assumed that Baker just goes right back to Tampa,” Daniel Jeremiah said on NFL Network during the NFL Combine. “Don’t sleep on the New England Patriots. If the New England Patriots are in the Baker business, then the No. 3 pick is up for sale. And now the dominoes start going, and we can really have some fun.”
While Jeremiah mentioned what that could mean for the Patriots, it would also mean the Buccaneers have a hole once again at quarterback. Wilson could slot in at that spot and have a career redemption, just like Mayfield, and enjoy no state income taxes in Florida.
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