Which team will ride with veteran quarterback Russell Wilson in 2025?
It certainly won’t be ‘Broncos Country,’ but there are a few intriguing landing spots for Wilson as he enters his 14th season in the NFL.
If Wilson doesn’t return to Pittsburgh, he’ll be joining his fourth career team. The 36-year-old spent his first 10 seasons in the NFL with the Seahawks, where he appeared in two Super Bowls and won one, before spending two years with the Broncos and one with the Steelers.
Wilson had a late start to the 2024 season when a calf injury kept him out of Pittsburgh’s early games. After taking over as the Steelers’ starter in Week 7, he led the team to a 6-5 record with 2,482 yards, 16 touchdowns and five interceptions to go with a 63.7% completion rate.
The pending free agent was also named to the Pro Bowl for a 10th time as an alternate for the AFC team after last season.
Russell Wilson landing spots
After the first wave of free agency and before the new league year starts, the following teams are some of the best landing spots for Wilson:
Pittsburgh Steelers
Staying in Pittsburgh could be the best option for Wilson. He’d get a chance at a second season in the same system – head coach Mike Tomlin and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith are still around – while (in theory) remaining healthy and with (also in theory) a better offense around him. The Steelers have already traded for wide receiver DK Metcalf and have the rest of the offseason to build up the offensive line and other areas of need in free agency and the draft.
At the time of writing, Wilson’s only competition for the starting quarterback job in Pittsburgh would be Skylar Thompson, whom the team signed to a reserve/future contract in January. His former competition, Justin Fields, has agreed to terms on a two-year, $40 million deal with the Jets. In addition, the Steelers don’t have many other quarterback options left on the free agent market at this early stage of free agency, which makes them a clear fit for Wilson.
New York Giants
Like the Steelers, the Giants don’t currently have much competition in-house for the starting quarterback job. New York cut starter Daniel Jones last year just one and a half years into a disastrous four-year, $160 million extension, and backup Drew Lock is also a pending free agent. The team did bring back Tommy DeVito on a one-year, minimum value deal, but there’s clear positional need at the most important position in sports.
Where the Giants differ from the Steelers is in their draft position. Big Blue is in a clear position to draft their quarterback of the future – if they so choose – with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft. Would Wilson be fine knowing that he’s being brought in as a ‘bridge’ option that may not start the whole year? How does he feel about mentoring a guy like Miami (FL)’s Cam Ward or Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders? These are questions he and the Giants would have to talk through, but it’s not hard to envision the two sides coming to a deal as things currently stand.
Tennessee Titans
The Titans have a young quarterback already, but Will Levis’ performance in his second professional season left much to be desired. Tennessee currently holds the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft, so if it wants to take another shot at drafting a quarterback of the future, it can.
Regardless of whether the Titans plan to draft a quarterback or go another route – like, say, trading the top pick for future draft capital or taking a non-quarterback – they’re in a spot to bring in a veteran quarterback like Wilson. Either he’d provide more legit competition for Levis to earn the starting job, or he’d serve as a mentor to Levis and/or an even younger quarterback taken in this year’s draft. Tennessee may not be in the market for a veteran quarterback given its draft position, but the landing spot is clear if the team goes that route.
Cleveland Browns
Cleveland is in a very similar spot to Tennessee as things stand. The team’s gamble on paying quarterback Deshaun Watson what is still the biggest fully guaranteed contract in league history has been a disaster. The Browns have gone 9-10 in the 19 games Watson has started in three years, and the quarterback may miss the entire 2025 season after re-tearing his Achilles.
The Browns, like the Titans, hold one of the top picks in the 2025 NFL draft: No. 2 overall. They’ve already traded for a new backup quarterback in Kenny Pickett, but the starting job appears to remain up for grabs. Wilson could fit in as the mentor figure or bridge option for a Cleveland team that may decide to draft its next young quarterback come April. He has experience playing in the division and can take advantage of a solid offense around him, including receivers Jerry Jeudy and Cedric Tillman as well as running back Jerome Ford.