Russell Wilson reportedly had another NFL team atop his wish list before he signed with the New York Giants on Tuesday.
Yesterday, news broke that the Giants signed Russell Wilson to a one-year deal worth $10.5 million, days after signing former first overall pick Jameis Winston to a two-year deal. The Wilson contact can be worth up to $21 million, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The Giants had been tied to Wilson and four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers for several weeks before the former put the pen to paper. But according to a report from Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Giants weren’t Wilson’s first choice.
Dulac reports that Russell Wilson hoped “to remain with the Steelers, right up till the end.” But by all accounts, the Steelers were never that serious about wanting to bring back the longtime Seattle Seahawk and former Denver Bronco.
Multiple reports have indicated that the Steelers are the heavy favorites to land Aaron Rodgers. The Wilson and Winston signings will take the Giants out of the sweepstakes, so the real question is how long Pittsburgh can wait for Rodgers’ decision before they consider other options.
The Wilson era got off to a promising start, with the Steelers winning six of his first seven starts. But the 10-time Pro Bowler and his offense cratered down the stretch, as Pittsburgh dropped its final four regular season games to squander the AFC North.
Pittsburgh was then humbled by the archrival Baltimore Ravens 28-14 in the Wild Card Round, extending their playoff win drought to nine years. With an ugly end to the season, the Steelers had an easy choice to move on from the 36-year-old.
