As Broncos Pay 97% Salary, Russell Wilson Convinced of Starting Over Kenny Pickett at Steelers, as Per Adam Schefter

Russell Wilson confirmed his Pittsburgh Steelers entry on Sunday night, March 10. Free agency is about to start on Monday, and there’s a legal tampering period in the middle of the day. Since Wilson was released by the Broncos last week, he reportedly negotiated a new $1.2 million deal with Pittsburgh.

Wilson earlier signed a 5 year, $242,588,236 deal with Denver, however, due to his subpar performance and the contract issues, he had been released after playing for just 2 seasons. Now, as Wilson has signed a low contract with Pittsburgh, Denver still will have to cover 96.9% of his salary, while competing with Kenny Pickett.

What’s the contract scene now for Russell Wilson?

This $1.2 million contract allows Russell Wilson to compete with Kenny Pickett for the starting quarterback position for the Steelers in 2024. As ESPN’s NFL Insider Adam Schefter also said, “The Pittsburgh made it clear that they are bringing in competition for Kenny Pickett.”

Now, the Broncos will cover his majority of his salary, paying $37.8 million. This means that the Broncos will cover around 97% of his salary for the season. The athlete transitioned from the orange and blue of the Broncos to the black and yellow of the Steelers even before the extension came into effect.

The Broncos, by cutting Wilson, will face a massive $85 million dead money figure on their salary cap, spread out over two seasons. This move has prompted the team to begin rebuilding due to the repercussions of this decision.

Read more: Faced Similar Fate as Russell Wilson, Ex-Pro Bowl QB ‘Hates It For Kenny Pickett’ But Lauds Steelers’ $1.2M Steal

Now, with the confirmed deal, Wilson will be taking the place of Kenny Pickett for at least the 2025 season. So, does that mean Pickett’s NFL future is in trouble?

Is Kenny Pickett’s game over?

A few months ago, the Steelers and their fans were hopeful about Kenny Pickett becoming the team’s quarterback solution. Pickett showed promise in his rookie season with a passer rating of 76.7 with 2,404 yards, and looked impressive in preseason 2023. However, he suffered an ankle injury just before halftime of Pittsburgh’s Week 13 game against the Cardinals. Now six months after the season began, the Steelers signed Russell Wilson to a one-year deal, adding competition for Pickett.

Despite his injury progress during the 2023 season, Pickett didn’t regain the starting role when he recovered. This disappointment raised questions about Pickett’s future, but recent reports suggested he still had a chance. However, for that, Wilson might need to perform subpar in the next season, or will have to resign or retire from Pittsburgh. But there’s no indication of such possibilities happening anytime soon.

The signing of Wilson, with a unique contract situation, allowed the Steelers to secure him for a low $1.2M. And now, they are trusting their new QB Wilson for their starting position, after all he is more experienced than Pickett, in the league.