NFL Rumors: Russell Wilson, Patriots Rival Have Mutual Interest

Russell Wilson might stay in the AFC once he leaves Denver.

The Steelers are interested in signing Wilson, who will be released by the Broncos at the turn of the new NFL year, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazzette's Gerry Dulac. Wilson is interested in taking his talents to Pittsburgh, according to Dulac, but he reportedly started conversations with at least one other team after Denver permitted him to seek opportunities elsewhere.

The Steelers have struggled to find consistent quarterback play since Ben Roethlisberger's final season with the storied franchise in 2021. With the reported interest in Wilson, Pittsburgh apparently is prepared to give up on Kenny Pickett, the 2022 first-round pick who posted a 7-5 record in each of his first two seasons.

Wilson, who lost the Broncos' starting quarterback job after Week 16 last season, would be an upgrade over Pickett and Mason Rudolph. The nine-time Pro Bowl selection is coming off a campaign in which he threw for only 3,070 passing yards but had a respectively touchdown-to-interception ratio (26-8).

The Steelers managed to earn a 2023 playoff berth despite featuring three starting quarterbacks across the regular season. Wilson very well could be intrigued by the opportunity to grab the QB1 job for a team in win-now mode that's led by one of the league's premier coaches, Mike Tomlin.

Oddsmakers see the partnership coming to fruition, as the Steelers are the clear betting favorite to be Wilson's next team.