Following the expected release from the Denver Broncos after two disappointing seasons in the Mile High City, veteran quarterback Russell Wilson finds himself as a street free agent ahead of the official start of NFL free agency but with options limited across the NFL.
There is one place that could be a potential landing spot for the former Super Bowl-winning quarterback though, at least according to Fox Sports 1’s Skip Bayless.
In Tuesday’s episode of “Undisputed” Bayless stated that the Pittsburgh Steelers should be that landing spot for Wilson in free agency because of the potential relationship with Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and how the future Hall of Fame head coach could get the most out of him from an emotional standpoint.
“You passed over one team. I’m gonna throw this out. I am the biggest Mike Tomlin fan and while I, I’m almost certain that Russ would not fit with Antonio [Pierce in Las Vegas], Mike’s been doing this for a long time. …So is it possible that Mike would be the one guy who would say, ‘You know what, I’m a defensive coach. I’m not gonna try to coach him schematically or technically, but I can coach him emotionally,'” Bayless said of a potential Wilson fit in Pittsburgh, according to video via the show’s Twitter page. “Maybe I can get him back into a place psychologically, emotionally where I can rebuild his confidence and whatever he has left, I can maximize it because I think he could be a little bit better than the current starter that you talk about that, that they have been trying to push.”
During Wilson’s time in Denver, it was a rather difficult stretch, especially the one season under Sean Payton, who was hired as Denver’s head coach ahead of last season. Wilson, for what it’s worth, was already in Denver before Payton had arrived and had signed a lucrative contract extension, making him one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL.
Things didn’t work out under Payton as the two clashed right away. Payton reportedly said the days of Wilson “kissing babies” was over as he needed to be a quarterback and not a politician. Then, there were sideline spats, with Payton being very demonstrative toward Wilson, leading to questions about their compatibility.
All that led up to a benching of Wilson after he reportedly wouldn’t readjust his contract to remove any injury guarantees, ultimately setting the stage for Wilson’s time in Denver to come to an end. That occurred Monday.
Now, the speculation about a Wilson fit in Pittsburgh is going to generate a ton of steam in the social media and sports talk world as the Steelers continue to search for an answer at quarterback. Though there has been public stances of support for quarterback Kenny Pickett from team owner Art Rooney II, head coach Mike Tomlin and GM Omar Khan, the Steelers continue to be tied to guys like Wilson, Justin Fields, and more in the quarterback market.
Though there was a report from The Athletic’s Dianna Russini Monday morning that the Steelers were not interested in signing Wilson, that hasn’t stopped the talk about his fit. He would be a good fit in Pittsburgh in Arthur Smith’s offensive scheme, and could really do well under Tomlin’s coaching style, which more often than not gets the best out of players.
But it seems very unlikely Wilson lands in the Steel City, even if he would come cheap at the veteran minimum due to offset language in his contract with the Broncos.
