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Now the Giants are making a play for Russ.
We’re five days away from the start of NFL free agency, but the rumors are flowing loose and fast when it comes to Russell Wilson’s plans. The Denver Broncos officially announced they were releasing Wilson on the first day of free agency, and that has shaken up how the quarterback picture slots together.
The three big names: Kirk Cousins, Russell Wilson, and a presumptive trade for Justin Fields. How those three guys all move around is anyone’s guess. Signs initially pointed to the Raiders being the team with the most interest, but now we have back-to-back reports of the Steelers and Giants potentially being in on Wilson.
A meeting is already planned in Pittsburgh.
Steelers are interested in signing Russell Wilson and are tentatively planning to meet with the former Broncos QB before start of free agency, per sources. Wilson has interest in joining Steelers. Story in PG forthcoming.
— Gerry Dulac (@gerrydulac) March 7, 2024
While Adam Schefter reported on Friday morning that Russ is stopping in New York to meet the Giants on his way to the Steelers.
Any of these teams would be a fascinating choice, with there being pretty major pros and cons for each organization. So let’s dive into what the Steelers, Raiders, and Giants offer Russell Wilson, and vice versa.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers are excellent. There’s no escaping that. Mike Tomlin remains one of the best coaches in the NFL, and his years since Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement have been a testament to Tomlin’s adaptability and game-planning chops.
A playoff team a year ago, Pittsburgh were really held back with poor quarterback play causing an inability to move the ball downfield effectively. A bend-don’t-break defensive scheme, paired with excellent rushing from Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren established the modern Steelers as a blast from the past — a hard-nosed, no-nonsense team that beat their opponents with physicality.
Still, that will only get you so far in the modern, pass-focused NFL. That defensive prowess and rushing ability got swallowed by the quarterback duo of Kenny Pickett and Mason Rudolph, who led the Steelers to 30th in the NFL in passing touchdowns. This came in spite of having two incredible deep threat receivers in George Pickens and Diontae Johnson.
The Russ-factor here is obvious. The man can flat out make big plays when he has the receivers to support him. Pickens and Johnson give strong vibes of D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, who Russ thrived with in Seattle. When you add new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith to the mix, who knows how to leverage QB success off the back of a running game (provided his QB isn’t Desmond Ridder), then this becomes a pretty compelling package.
If the Steelers can go 10-7 and make the playoffs with bad QB play, then with Wilson they could really make some noise.
Pros
Great supporting cast
Excellent coach
Established playoff team needing a QB to get over the hump
Cons
Facing the Browns and Ravens defense twice a year
Questions about whether Russ could gel with Arthur Smith
Pittsburgh isn’t exactly a premier city for a star with an ego
Las Vegas Raiders
A disappointing 8-9 a year ago, I don’t think anyone has a great grasp on who the Raiders are or what their team identity is. Hiring Josh McDaniels will do that to an organization, one with has floundered with mediocre coaching for years.
Finally it appears this team made the correct decision by hiring Antonio Pierce. The interim head coach finished the season a strong 5-4, which was enough to get the full time job. By the end of 2023 he had Las Vegas swinging much bigger than their weight class, riding rookie Aidan O’Connell to success down the stretch — even when he didn’t play particularly well.
The black hole at QB was so profound in Vegas last season that nobody needed to respect the run. Jimmy Garoppolo played like garbage, and O’Connell wasn’t drastically better — so the plan to stop the Raiders was essentially “stack the box, and don’t let Josh Jacobs get going.” This worked, as Las Vegas plummeted to 30th in the league in rushing last season after being one of the best running teams in 2022.
The defensive identity of the Raiders is stopping the pass. They have a great grouping of defensive backs, paired with the pass rushing prowess of Maxx Crosby and Malcolm Koonce. All they need know is the ability to pushing teams through the air, and they can win. The Raiders were 9th in the NFL in points allowed, but 23rd in points scored.
Russell Wilson can flip that math. The Raiders have great weapons in Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers and the emerging Michael Mayer at tight end. This is absolutely a supporting cast that Russ can succeed (and win) with. The big question surround this offense in 2024 is the bizarre decision by Pierce to hire Luke Getsy as his offensive coordinator.
There’s nothing to indicate Getsy knows how to draw up a winning offense in the NFL. He struggled mightily in Chicago over the past two years, and showed an inability to use Justin Fields to his full potential. This bizarre hiring could be the biggest reason not to go to Las Vegas, especially considering Wilson is at a point where he’s looking to make an impact in the passing game.
Pros
Great supporting cast
Attractive star-studded location
Chance to stick it to Denver twice a year
Cons
Unproven head coach
Potential friction with Davante Adams
Luke Getsy is a mediocre offensive coordinator
New York Giants
It’s been pretty clear that the Giants are having buyer’s remorse when it comes to their Daniel Jones extension — Russell Wilson would go a long way to making them feel a little better.
There is no way this deal could happen without Wilson’s ability to accept a minimum contract, while still ensuring he gets paid. This is how the Giants could theoretically have two starting QBs on their roster when the season kicks off.
It’s almost a miracle that New York managed to limp to a 6-11 record in spite of their QB play. Jones was horrendous out of the gate, and then he was replaced with Tyrod Taylor and later Tommy DeVito. Both Taylor and DeVito had the same issue of lacking consistency in the passing game.
There are so many questions about what this team is. They have a decent group of receivers, but nobody who will blow you away. Offensively they’ve been best defined by Saquon Barkley, but he’s likely gone in free agency. This is more or less a blank canvas for someone like Russ to come in and leave his mark on.
Pros
The attention of New York will appeal to Russ
Chance to be credited with turning a franchise around
Solid head coach in Brian Daboll
Cons
The Giants are far from competitive
They lack top-tier weapons of other interested teams
It’s unclear whether Mike Kafka is a consistent offensive coordinator
So, where will Russ go?
It really comes down to what Russ’ priorities are at this point in his career. To be honest, I think the visit with the Giants is more out of politeness than any serious interest on Russ’ part. This team is just too far away from competing to appeal to the 35-year-old QB when there are better landing spots available.
The Steelers are closer to making a deep run than Las Vegas, but I honestly don’t know if Russ is enough to turn Pittsburgh into a Super Bowl team. Still, if his priority is winning right now, then the Steelers are the place to go.
The flip side is the ability to make a statement. Russ had a bad breakup with the Broncos, and playing them twice a year is both maximum petty, and supremely satisfying. While the Raiders might not be as well-equipped to make a deep playoff run, he probably turns them into the 2nd best team in the AFC West, whereas he’d be fighting for 2nd or 3rd in the AFC North with the Browns and Bengals.
When the dust settles my gut says Russell Wilson will wind up on the Las Vegas Raiders. It’s not that the Steelers aren’t worthy, but the allure of staying in the West (where Russ has been his entire career), paired with having the ability to be the first megastar QB in Vegas really appeals to his ego. Pittsburgh tend to be a more thoughtful, methodical franchise — and that leads me to believe they won’t be as all-in on Wilson, and could be equally happy trading for Justin Fields are trying to fit him into the offense.
There’s no bad landing spot for Wilson though, and either team would be better as a result.
