QB Russell Wilson visited the Cleveland Browns yesterday while his former team in the Pittsburgh Steelers waits for an answer from QB Aaron Rodgers. With Wilson exploring his options (he’s also meeting with the New York Giants today), he could wind up finding a new home before the Steelers get an answer from Rodgers, and Cleveland Browns EDGE Myles Garrett, who just signed a new extension to stay in Cleveland, is a fan of bringing Wilson aboard. In his press conference after signing the extension, Garrett said he’s talked to Wilson and endorsed the idea of bringing him in.
“I think it went well. Him and I had a little bit of a conversation at the Pro Bowl as well as here. I definitely think he’d be a valuable asset as a leader, as a mentor to those young guys. So veteran leadership can’t be understated. He definitely has some juice left at the position. He has plenty of arm left, he’s very smart and he knows what he’s capable of. So he’d be a valuable asset,” Garrett said via the Browns’ YouTube channel.
Per Zac Jackson of The Athletic, Garrett expanded on his pitch to Wilson.
“I won’t take you to the ground three or four times a year.”
Last year, Garrett took Wilson to the ground four times, with three sacks coming in the first game, a Week 12 Browns win. He also had one sack in Pittsburgh’s Week 14 victory. Garrett is one of the best pass rushers in the league, but if Wilson goes to the Browns, he’ll have to face another twice year in T.J. Watt.
Wilson was a good leader in Pittsburgh, organizing workouts ahead of training camp to get to know his receivers. While his positivity can be a little bit much at times, particularly when the Steelers were in the midst of their losing streak, his teammates never said a bad word about him. And he seemed to have a positive relationship and be a strong leader throughout his time with the Steelers.
The issue was that after a hot start, Wilson and the offense fell apart down the stretch, and tension with Arthur Smith seems to be a factor in him not being high on the totem pole of Pittsburgh’s quarterback choices. But the Rodgers decision feels make or break, and if Rodgers spurns Pittsburgh and goes elsewhere, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Steelers roll out Mason Rudolph as their starting quarterback.
For the Browns, Wilson would enter a room with Kenny Pickett, whom Cleveland just traded for. It would make for some irony after Wilson’s arrival last season compelled Pickett to request a trade, but Wilson would likely be the Week 1 starter for the Browns, working with weapons like David Njoku, Jerry Jeudy and Cedric Tillman. We saw last season that his deep ball is still one of the best in the league, and he would be an upgrade over what the Browns have had at quarterback since acquiring Deshaun Watson.
Garrett’s recruitment efforts to bring Wilson in show that the team is clearly still interested in trying to upgrade at quarterback. It’s worth noting that the two started talking way back at the Pro Bowl, which is where Garrett could’ve started planting some seeds about coming to Cleveland if Wilson were to leave Pittsburgh. Wilson is reportedly unhappy with how the Steelers have handled their quarterback pursuit this offseason, and that could lead to him jumping ship.
It’ll be interesting to see Wilson’s timeline to make a decision. The Giants are also seemingly waiting for an answer from Rodgers, so the Browns look like the most viable landing spot for Russell Wilson. If Wilson enjoyed his visit and gets what he wants from Cleveland, he could be playing against the Steelers twice a year instead of for them, even if Pittsburgh would be interested in a reunion if it can’t get Rodgers.
