Report: Steelers interested in signing Wilson

The Pittsburgh Steelers are interested in signing Russell Wilson and plan to meet with him before the start of free agency, sources told Gerry Dulac of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Wilson is also interested in joining the Steelers, Dulac adds.

The Denver Broncos confirmed they plan to release Wilson next week when the new league year starts, but they reportedly gave the veteran permission to begin speaking to other teams. Wilson's release from the Broncos will cost the franchise a record $85 million in dead money.

The Steelers have reiterated their faith in former first-round pick Kenny Pickett throughout the offseason but have also promised to bring in competition at the quarterback position.

"(I) feel really good about Kenny, but he knows, and we all know, that there's going to be competition in the room," Steelers general manager Omar Khan said at the NFL Scouting Combine in February.

A 2022 first-round pick, Pickett has struggled in the NFL. He finished the 2023 campaign as the No. 2 quarterback behind Mason Rudolph after suffering an ankle injury late in the year. Rudolph impressed down the stretch, so Pickett was reduced to a backup role for the regular-season finale and wild-card round even after he became healthy.

Pickett threw for 2,070 yards, six touchdowns, and four interceptions on a 62% completion rate in 2023.

Meanwhile, Rudolph led the team to a 3-0 record in the regular season and a playoff berth. He finished the campaign with three touchdowns to zero interceptions. He is not under contract for 2024.

Wilson's two-year tenure with the Broncos did not go as hoped. He recorded career lows in wins (four), completion percentage (60.5%), touchdowns (16), and passer rating (84.4) in his first season. He showed improvements in his second year with 26 touchdowns to eight interceptions, but he didn't finish the year as the starter.

A former Super Bowl champion with the Seattle Seahawks, Wilson is four years removed from the last time he exceeded 4,000 passing yards or 30 touchdown passes.