Russell Wilson's time with the Broncos ended abruptly and the Steelers pounced on his availability.
Wilson signed an astronomical five-year, $242.6 million contract with Denver in 2022 but never lived up to expectations. His shortcomings resulted in the Broncos cutting him just two seasons into his massive deal. That left Denver with a dead-cap hit of $85 million, the largest in NFL history.
When Wilson hit free agency, Pittsburgh was immediately linked to the former Super Bowl champion. The Steelers had one of the best defenses in the NFL last season but were handcuffed by poor quarterback play between Kenny Pickett, Mitch Trubisky, and Mason Rudolph.
NFL HQ: Live NFL scores | Updated NFL standings | Full NFL schedule
Wilson was expected to come in and be the team's starting quarterback until a late offseason trade for 2021 No. 11 overall pick Justin Fields clouded that situation.
When Wilson suffered a calf injury going into the 2024 season, Fields took over the starting job and played well enough to keep it even when the veteran returns, according to head coach Mike Tomlin.
How did the Steelers land Wilson on a veteran minimum deal in the first place? The Sporting News breaks it down below.
MORE: Week 5 NFL Power Rankings | Week 5 NFL picks | Week 5 NFL picks against the spread
How did Steelers sign Russell Wilson to veteran minimum deal?
The Broncos decided to cut Wilson just two years into his five-year, $242.6 million contract after back-to-back underwhelming seasons.
Wilson was expected to be — and paid to be — the quarterback to get Denver back to Super Bowl contention, but it was never truly a threat.
The Broncos went 4-11 in Wilson's first season at the helm and he threw a career-low 16 touchdown passes. When Denver got out to an equally disappointing 7-8 start in 2023, the front office and head coach Sean Payton elected to bench Wilson to tank for a better draft pick.
That decision alluded to the inevitable future that ensued. The Broncos cut Wilson and had to eat $85 million in dead cap space, letting the veteran quarterback walk in free agency.
The Steelers already had a championship-caliber defense in place, but after going through a carousel of three different quarterbacks last season, it was clear an upgrade was necessary.
Wilson — who is still being paid $39 million of his guaranteed money from Denver this season — was willing to take a massive pay cut and play for Pittsburgh under the veteran minimum of $1.21 million.
Wilson was expected to be the Steelers' sure-fire starting quarterback until they acquired Fields from the Bears leading up to the 2024 season.
The two had a quarterback battling during training camp, but Wilson suffered a calf injury ahead of opening week, paving the way for Fields to be the starter. Even still, Pittsburgh has a great quarterback insurance policy in Wilson at a very cheap price for a former Super Bowl champion.
WEEK 5 FANTASY RANKINGS
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Russell Wilson contract details
Wilson is only making the veteran minimum of $1.21 million from the Steelers this season. However, he will receive $39 million from the Broncos as part of the leftover guaranteed money on his megadeal.
Denver paid Wilson $85 million of his $124 million when he signed the contract back in 2022, so the $39 million will complete the guaranteed payment.
You can find Wilson's contract details with the Steelers below.
| Year | Age | Base salary |
| 2024 | 36 | $1.21 million |
| 2025 | 37 | UFA |
