Former Cincinnati Bengals star wide receiver Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson has reason to believe that embattled quarterback Russell Wilson is heading to the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason.
“A little birdie told me, and I said this many shows ago, Russell Wilson’s coming on over to the Steelers,” Johnson asserted on his Nightcap podcast with Shannon Sharpe.
Sharpe reminded Johnson that Justin Fields is the current favorite on some betting sites to make his way to Pittsburgh. Johnson believes that Fields will wind up in Atlanta with the Falcons.
It’s yet to be determined if Wilson will be made available by the Broncos and how. Wilson signed a five-year $245 million extension at the start of the 2022 season, and the Broncos surrendered first and second-round draft picks and three other players to acquire the Super Bowl champ. But the relationship between the quarterback and head coach Sean Payton soured since then, and Payton benched Wilson for the final two games of the regular season in a financial move.
Wilson is now expected to be released before $37 million worth of his 2025 salary becomes guaranteed at the start of the new league year on March 17. Denver would still owe him part of his mega-contract, and he could be available for slightly over league minimum.
Again, this and other quarterback rumblings are for naught if Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Gerry Dulac’s report is accurate that “the Steelers are not interested in bringing in a quarterback who wants to be a starter.” We all know Wilson isn’t going to sit behind Kenny Pickett.
