Russell Wilson was handed a golden opportunity with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024. After the Denver Broncos paid to make him go away, Wilson finally returned to health from a calf injury and made his first appearance in Week 7 against the New York Jets.
Though he started strong with the Steelers, Wilson crumbled down the stretch—leading his offense to just 14 points per game during a five-game losing streak to close the year (including the playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens).
Now Wilson, 36, will look to earn one final payday as an NFL starter before hanging up his cleats for good, but his choices in free agency could be limited. The Las Vegas Raiders may have been an option because of his old head coach Pete Carroll, but the Raiders made a surprise trade for quarterback Geno Smith.
Most teams in need of quarterbacks either have high draft capital to take one early or are hoping to swing bigger. With a Steelers reunion looking like a last resort for Pittsburgh, here are some potential destinations for Wilson this offseason.
Russell Wilson free agency landing spots if he doesn't return to the Pittsburgh Steelers
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints have a new head coach, Kellen Moore, who will likely want to bring in his own quarterback. Because this is his first head coaching job, Moore is likely thinking big picture. But that might not stop the Saints from signing Wilson to be a bridge quarterback.
Derek Carr is still under contract and cutting him before June 1 would result in a hefty $50.132 million dead money hit. However, if the Saints designate him as a post-June 1 cut, they could save $30 million in cap space this year. Carr's status is up in the air, and he's even been rumored as a free agent option for the Steelers, but if the Saints decide to move on, Wilson could be a temporary option.
New York Jets
Much like the Moore and the Saints, Aaron Glenn is a first-time head coach with a quarterback dilemma. The New York Jets have already made it clear that Aaron Rodgers won't be part of their future plans, and with the seventh overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, selecting a QB this April isn't out of the question.
Even if the Jets go that route, they could still use a veteran to take the reigns before handing them over to a rookie quarterback. Russell Wilson could do just enough to elevate the performance of an underwhelming team from the 2024 season.
Cleveland Browns
After watching Wilson in December and January, Pittsburgh Steelers fans won't mind if their former quarterback finds work within the AFC North. This could be a decision that is easy for the Browns to get behind. Despite dreadful quarterback play in 2023, the Browns found their way to a 11-6 record.
In 2024, Deshaun Watson suffered an Achilles injury early in the season while a wildly sporadic Jameis Winston took over. With a bit more consistency, the Browns have a talented enough roster to turn things around, and Wilson could be a stop-gap signal-caller if Cleveland takes a QB early in the draft.
New York Giants
After suffering through the lack of play-making ability from Daniel Jones over the years, the New York Giants are probably willing to try just about anything else that could spark life in their irrelevant franchise. There are rumors that the Giants would like to trade up to the top pick in the NFL Draft for Miami quarterback Cam Ward.
If this doesn't happen—or if the Giants still want a veteran option at the position—Wilson could make his way to New York. Wilson's experience and career dominance over the NFC East (17-6 record) could offer the Giants enough incentive to sign him to a short-term contract in free agency this offseason.