The Denver Broncos plan on cutting Russell Wilson when the new league year begins in the middle of March. Which three teams make the most sense for the quarterback? The Broncos swung for the fences when they made a trade for Russell Wilson about two years ago, and it didn't work. Now, the Broncos will embark on a quest to find a legitimate franchise QB.
And Wilson himself will surely look at all of his potential options for 2024. Right now, I don't think it's a guarantee that he is even a starting QB when the 2024 NFL Season begins, but there does still seem to be something left of Wilson. He wasn't a great fit in Sean Payton's offense, but he did rack up 29 total touchdowns and threw just eight interceptions.
That type of production could be desired by a few teams in 2024 who need urgent and immediate QB production.
3 most logical fits for QB Russell Wilson in 2024 NFL Season
1. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers might be the very best fit for Russell Wilson in 2024. They had horrid QB play in 2023 and should pull the plug on the failed Kenny Pickett experiment, who has turned into one of the most inefficient QBs in the history of the game. Somehow, Pittsburgh won 10 games in 2023.
They also hired Arthur Smith to be their new offensive coordinator, and it was Smith who once revived the career of Ryan Tannehill during the 2019 and 2020 seasons with the Tennessee Titans. Tannehill went from average at best to being a truly elite passer for than year and a half timeframe. Smith has also boasted strong rushing attacks as well, so I think if Smith can again scheme up a strong run game, he can get some solid production from Russell Wilson.
2. Atlanta Falcons
While the Atlanta Falcons are likely going to run a Shanahan-style offense, I still think Russell Wilson could be a solid fit there. The Falcons have strong personnel along their offensive line and two very good running backs in Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier. Russell Wilson loves the deep ball, and both Drake London and Kyle Pitts are two strong deep ball players.
Atlanta has clearly been missing efficient QB play in recent seasons, as they've been 7-10 in each of the last three years. That caused them to fire former head coach Arthur Smith. They brought in Raheem Morris as their new head coach, and with the No. 8 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Falcons could simply draft a QB with their first-round pick and start him Week 1.
However, maybe the Falcons would want to hedge their bet a bit or at least raise the floor of their QB room. I think Russell Wilson could play reasonably well in Atlanta. They had a strong defense last year, and their personnel on offense might make them a near-perfect fit to insert Russell Wilson at QB.
Kirk Cousins would also make a ton of sense for the Falcons. In fact, I don't think there'd be a better fit for them than Cousins. But if something were to happen and Cousins doesn't end up signing with the Falcons, they could turn to QBs like Russell Wilson or even Justin Fields.
3. Las Vegas Raiders
I think the Las Vegas Raiders have had a disaster of an offseason so far, and they could continue that by signing Russell Wilson when he officially becomes a free agent. Rookie Aidan O'Connell got a ton of starts in 2023 but is no one of note and likely not going to be their starting QB in Week 1 of the 2023 season.
The Jimmy Garoppolo signing was putrid, as he was benched during the 2023 season. The Raiders don't have much else going for them besides having Maxx Crosby and an aging Davante Adams on the roster. They hired Antonio Pierce as their head coach, ripping off the interim tag.
With very limited NFL coaching experience, this might end up blowing up in their faces. They also hired former Los Angeles Chargers General Manager Tom Telesco to the same role. Telesco, in his final years with LA, built some top-heavy rosters but did hit on some draft picks.
Currently holding the No. 13 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Raiders could find themselves missing out on the top QBs, so they could perhaps sign Russell Wilson for a short time to hold the fort down while they attempt to acquire and develop a young QB.