5 realistic landing spots for Russell Wilson after his ‘probable’ exit from the Denver Broncos

Russell Wilson‘s time at Mile High is approaching a fast end. And given how much the Denver Broncos paid him to acquire his services, cutting him from the team is a bit surprising. Nonetheless, the onus is that Wilson’s future could be away from the Broncos.

The Broncos benched Wilson for the final game of the season after realizing that they wouldn’t reach the playoffs.

It came as a shock, but the 35-year-old later revealed that after the Kansas City Chiefs game, he was approached to make changes to his contact. If he didn’t comply, then the bench was the only option for him.

He missed the final few games of the season as the Broncos finished with an 8-9 record. But even before then, rumors were circulating that he would most likely leave in the offseason and find a new home. Evident from the fact that he is looking for buyers for his Denver mansion.

5 landing spots for Russell Wilson in 2024

There’s no question—Russell Wilson’s stock lowered because of his performances last season. On top of that, he failed to be on the same page with head coach Sean Payton, whose first course of action after coming to Denver was to throw his quarterback back under the bus.

No matter how much Wilson tries to wave away the questions about his relationship with Payton, there were indications that it wasn’t great. Although there were glimpses of the old Russell in patches during the campaign, as a whole, the season was underwhelming. 

He bounced back on the touchdown-to-interception ratio, but yards per game were at a career low of 204.7 yards. Wilson’s QBR rating in the last three years has been the worst. He only once had a QBR under 60 in his first nine seasons in the NFL. But in the last three, he averaged 55.

Now onto the teams that are thinking of adding Russell Wilson. First and foremost, they have to sort out his tangled contract situation, which will run until 2028. He will earn $35 million against the Broncos salary cap, with $17 million in salary for this season.

On top of that, if they don’t cut him before March 17, 2024, then his $37 million base salary for 2025 becomes guaranteed.

With that in mind, here are five teams that could make Russell Wilson their quarterback.

5. Las Vegas Raiders

It’s more or less confirmed that Jimmy Garoppolo‘s time in Sin City is up. This leaves the Las Vegas Raiders with a very young rookie, Aidan O’Connell, who leaves the door open for Wilson. Similar to the Broncos, the silver and black also love to splash big, as evident from the Garoppolo deal. 

Parting away with the 32-year-old will save them $17 million on top of $35 million in cap space. If Mark Davis is willing to make another big investment, then Wilson shouldn’t be a bad move.

The DraftKings Sportsbook gave +600 to this move. But whether Davis would want to spend so much on a player who’s on a downward trajectory—that’s a massive question.

4. Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons are another team that could use an experienced quarterback. Since Matt Ryan retired, the center spot has been shared by Taylor Heinicke and Desmond Ridder.

However, neither of the two managed to establish himself as the outright starter for the team. Ridder ranks 26th among 30 with a 40.1 QBR in the league. Heinicke, on the other hand, is a good backup at best. 

They have dynamic attackers like Drake London, Kyle Pitts, Jonnu Smith, and Bijan Robinson. Wilson can definitely benefit from a supercharged runner, considering he isn’t as mobile as he once was. As per the Darftkings sportsbook, the Falcons’ chances of landing the veteran are +450.

3. Denver Broncos

Yes, there is still a chance that Wilson remains in Denver. Even though the signs all point to an imminent exit, there’s still a world where the nine-time Pro Bowler sticks around at Mile High. For that to happen, he needs to come to the table and agree to the terms and conditions that the Broncos put forward. 

That’s primarily because they are short on cash, and bagging another quarterback will cost them. Instead, if Wilson agrees to negotiate and take a cut, he will enter free agency in 2026, when his guaranteed money ends.

Everything comes down to whether he still wants to play for the Broncos. Being benched wouldn’t have felt well for the Super Bowl winner. DraftKings predicts the odds of Wilson staying in Denver are +320.

2. Washington Commanders

Eric Bieniemy is no longer with the Washington Commanders, but that shouldn’t discourage Wilson from moving to the capital city. The Commanders are entering a new era with new head coach Dan Quinn at the helm. He could be tempted by the prospect of adding Wilson to the cavalry.

Sam Howell had an improved campaign last term but still only recorded wins. Both Howell and Wilson possess similar attributes. Their play revolves around mobility and arm talent. Howell may be a bit more of a dynamic passer, but Wilson’s experience could give him the edge as the starter. 

This would also benefit the young quarterback learning from a multiple Pro Bowl honors holder. Wilson would have the core of Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson at his disposal, along with running back Brian Robinson.

1. Pittsburgh Steelers

This is the trickiest location of the entire lot, but DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Pittsburgh Steelers as the favored destination for Russell Wilson. It lists a high probability of -100.

The Steelers are stacked in the quarterback room. Kenny Pickett, Mitch Trubisky, and Mason Rudolph all played significant roles in reaching the playoffs. When the odds opened, the Steelers were at +1400, but somehow they became the favorites, which doesn’t make much sense. But then again, additional help wouldn’t be bad.

Now for that to happen, the Steelers have to release at least one, or maybe two, who is not Pickett. That’s because the 25-year-old is no. 1, according to Mike Tomlin.

If Wilson joins the party, then there will be selection issues for Tomlin to deal with because he will not settle for a backup job. Nevertheless, Pittsburgh would suit Wilson.

In case you missed it:

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• Vikings reportedly are ‘hesitant’ to give Justin Jefferson fully guaranteed money in new deal despite him wanting to become one of the highest-paid WRs in the NFL

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