Earlier today, previous reports about the Pittsburgh Steelers’ interest in Russell Wilson were confirmed as he was seen in the Newark airport about to catch a flight to Pittsburgh. Some of the national media guys like Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport then reported that he was indeed heading to meet with the Steelers, but that he had stopped by to see the New York Giants on his way to Pittsburgh.
ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler appeared on NFL Live today and discussed the Giants’ meeting with Wilson, and it would appear that the meeting went well.
“I checked with a source involved. They said the meeting was quote very positive,” Fowler said in a clip posted to NFL on ESPN’s YouTube channel. “Another one used the word exploratory, which was in Adam Schefter’s report, which makes sense. That’s kind of where the Giants are. This is a quarterback you can sign for the league minimum, and I’m told that Wilson is motivated to sign at a low number to his new team.”
Wilson finds himself in an incredibly unique situation with his contract as the Denver Broncos will be picking up the tab on his 2024 salary. Any amount he signs with a new team offsets against what the Broncos already owe him in guarantees. This will allow the team that signs Wilson to get a veteran, former Super Bowl-winning QB for very cheap, which creates cap room to build up the roster in free agency to help the team overall.
Today has been full of speculation from many of the national media folks. Some are claiming Pittsburgh is the perfect landing spot, while others say it’s the Giants. New York has a significant contract already tied up in QB Daniel Jones, but they appear to be exploring options to move on from him after a rough and injury-filled 2023 season.
Wilson recently stated his desire to win more Super Bowl championships over the next five years, so you can be sure he views himself as a starter and likely won’t sign somewhere that doesn’t make it very clear up front. The Steelers have a first-round pick invested in Kenny Pickett from just two years ago, while the Giants have a sizable contract invested in Jones. Fowler expanded on why the Giants might fit what Wilson is looking for.
“They fit the criteria of a team that’s won before,” Fowler said. “He wants to go somewhere that can set a standard for him.”
It’s difficult to determine what the outcome will be for Wilson, and he has other meetings that are set to happen in the coming days. His meeting with Pittsburgh happened just hours ago this Friday afternoon.
