Russell Wilson’s salary demands may hurt his prospects of finding his next NFL team

Veteran quarterback Russell Wilson risks of not signing with any NFL team because he reportedly wants close to $30 million per year.

Russell Wilson’s salary demands may hurt his prospects of finding his next NFL team

Russell Wilson (Image via IMAGO)

Russell Wilson wants a significant rise in his yearly salary from his next NFL team. The veteran quarterback earned a $1.21 million base salary from his one-year spell at the Pittsburgh Steelers, but that’s no longer cutting it for him.

Wilson is among the top free agents available in the market. Any quarterback-needy team would gladly sign him because of the experience the 36-year-old brings to the locker room. The only issue that’s keeping teams from making a move on Wilson is his salary demands.

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During a recent discussion on ESPN Cleveland’s YouTube channel, insider Tony Grossi revealed that Russell Wilson wants between $20 and $30 million per year to play for a team. The Browns are among the three teams that reportedly have interest in Wilson, but Grossi said the salary demand is out of the AFC North team’s budget.

The Pittsburgh Steelers and the New York Giants are the other two teams in the mix to land Wilson. However, the former Seahawks and Broncos player isn’t the first preference for either. They are still banking on Aaron Rodgers to start for them in 2025.

Aaron Rodgers is keeping Russell Wilson from finding a new team

Wilson’s one-year spell with the Steelers was hit-and-miss. After losing the quarterback battle to Justin Fields for the first few games, the Steelers brass handed the reins to him for the remainder of the campaign. Even though they reached the playoffs by finishing 10-7, Wilson lost the final six games, including the wild card fixture.

Russell Wilson's salary demands may hurt his prospects of finding his next NFL team
Russell Wilson (Image via CNN)

The Steelers released Wilson and Fields following the season, but the 10x Pro Bowler asked for a second bite at the cherry. By then, Mike Tomlin and Omar Khan diverted their interest toward Rodgers, who became a free agent for the first time in his NFL career after the Jets cut him.

According to insider news, the Steelers’ interests in Rodgers are genuine despite the 41-year-old stalling for time. Initially, Rodgers wanted to sign for the Steelers until the Vikings became an exciting prospect due to Sam Darnold’s exit. It was the Vikings who ended the pursuit, pledging their faith in JJ McCarthy.

Meanwhile, Wilson visited the Giants’ facility to speak with Brian Daboll and Joe Schoen but left without signing a new contract. The Giants only seemed keen on paying top money to Rodgers, and Wilson doesn’t want to be an expensive backup like Kirk Cousins.

Schoen eased the Giants quarterback issue by signing Jameis Winston to a two-year deal and re-signing Tommy DeVito. This doesn’t close the doors on either Wilson or Rodgers unless they use the third overall pick to draft a rookie quarterback.

This realistically makes the Browns the only option Wilson has on the table, but to sign with his second AFC North team, he must lower the salary demands.

Wilson at risk of remaining without a team

The door is quickly closing for Wilson. His next year hinges on the Rodgers deal. The good news is that the former Packer spent six hours at the Steelers facility before leaving. Similar to Wilson, Rodgers’ contract demands are also steep.

According to Steelers beat writer Gerry Dulac, Rodgers wants north of $33 million per year for two years. The Steelers need to make up their mind on whether to give the 4x NFL MVP the deal or not.

For Wilson’s sake, he should pray this gets wrapped up before day 1 of the draft. If it takes too long, the Giants and Browns would not pass up on the opportunity to select either Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders. This will close Wilson’s window.

There’s one other option that Wilson should consider as his last resort. If no team agrees to pay him according to his salary demand, then it’s best to just wait until the next season begins.

There are always chances of a spot opening up before or during the season due to injuries. In 2023, Joe Flacco signed for the Browns after they lost DeShaun Watson and Dorian Thompson-Robinson to season-ending injuries. Flacco led the Browns to the playoffs. Wilson can easily have a similar impact, and then he can push for a better contract in 2026.

Related: Najee Harris takes a jibe at former Steelers teammate Justin Fields after signing with the Chargers: “Didn’t know anything”