While Russell Wilson was viewed as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ fallback plan, if they can’t land QB Aaron Rodgers, Wilson may find himself a new home. Per NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, Wilson is expected to visit the Cleveland Browns this week.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter also reported that Wilson intended to visit Cleveland in addition to the New York Giants.
If Wilson joins the Browns, he’d be signing with the Steelers AFC North rival. He took over as Pittsburgh’s starter in Week 7 last season and started strong. However, the Steelers lost their last five games, including their Wild Card Round game against the Baltimore Ravens. It seems the Steelers have prioritized other quarterbacks this offseason, and now Wilson is looking elsewhere for a potential contract.
The Browns traded for former Steelers QB Kenny Pickett earlier this week, but the team won’t have QB Deshaun Watson for the 2025 season after he tore his Achilles during the 2024 season. The Browns do have the No. 2 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, but they seem to be looking at the veteran quarterback route and Wilson could be a stopgap quarterback for Cleveland.
The Giants are also in pursuit of Rodgers and seemingly view Wilson as their backup plan if they don’t land Rodgers. Wilson also met with the Giants last off-season before signing with the Steelers, but with the Giants having a clear path to a starting job after releasing Daniel Jones, Wilson may have more interest this time around.
Wilson finished the 2024 season 6-5 as Pittsburgh’s starter during the regular season after starting 6-1 and 6-6 overall. He threw for 2,482 yards and 16 touchdowns with five interceptions during the regular season and added 270 yards and two touchdowns in their playoff loss to the Ravens. The Steelers prioritized returning QB Justin Fields over Russell Wilson this offseason. Still, when Fields signed with the New York Jets, the Steelers pivoted and now are waiting to see if they land Aaron Rodgers.
If the Steelers fail to land Rodgers, it doesn’t seem like a guarantee they’ll be able to turn to Wilson as a backup plan. That could lead to them looking to Wilson if the Rodgers saga stretches on by the end of the week to avoid losing one of the only available, viable starting quarterbacks, especially if he goes to a division rival in Cleveland.
It’s been a very interesting free agency and legal tampering period so far for the Steelers, and this latest bit of news on Wilson could certainly affect how the Steelers approach their quarterback situation.
