Russell Wilson appears set to meet with Pittsburgh Steelers

Russell Wilson, quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers. That’s a phrase that could be in play.

Thursday morning, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that the soon-to-be-former Broncos quarterback was “tentatively” set to meet with 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

The Steelers represent an intriguing possibility for Russell Wilson, who will not return to the Broncos in 2024 after the team announced Monday that it would jettison the quarterback, creating up to $85 million in dead salary cap that could be spread over the next two years.

The Post-Gazette reported that Wilson “has interest” in becoming a Steeler, and that would make sense. For starters, the team has never posted a losing season under current coach Mike Tomlin, who took the reins in 2007, making him the NFL’s longest-tenured current head coach.

Second, the team’s offensive coordinator, former Falcons head coach Arthur Smith, has found success with quarterbacks who prefer to move and operate beyond the play structure. Smith helped revive the career of Ryan Tannehill in Tennessee before taking the Falcons job in 2021. But he failed to find similar success with Desmond Ridder last year, which helped lead to his dismissal.

The Steelers have 2022 first-round pick Kenny Pickett under contract. And there have been rumblings that the team would re-sign veteran Mason Rudolph, who filled in for Pickett late last season and nudged the Steelers back to the postseason.

Adding a lawyer of intrigue to a possible Russell Wilson marriage with the Steelers is the fact that Pittsburgh is on the Broncos’ 2024 home slate.