Russell Wilson landing spots Steelers Raiders Vikings among best fits after QBs release from Broncos
Ru sell Wilson's time with the Broncos has come to an abrupt ending.Denver , just two seasons removed from its .The franchise was sure that Wilson could lead the Broncos back to title contention, immediately reaching a five-year, $245 million extension following the trade. It quickly became clear that Wilson would not be the answer Denver sought. He was cut from the organization before his monster extension even kicked in.MORE: The Broncos finished under .500 in each of Wilson's two seasons as the starting quarterback.They finished in last place in the AFC West with a 5-12 record in 2022 Jared Harper Jersey , firing first-year head coach Nathaniel Hackett in the proce s.Denver had hoped bringing in head coach Sean Payton would recapture Wilson's former play, but that was not the case. The Broncos had a rollercoaster 2023 season, starting 1-5 before rattling off five consecutive wins. Wilson showed some promise in that span, but the wheels fell off shortly thereafter. Following a disappointing lo s to a lowly Patriots team in Week 16, Wilson was benched. Denver finished 8-9 and mi sed the playoffs, ending the 35-year-old's tenure in the Mile High city.Wilson threw for 6,954 yards, 42 touchdowns, and 19 interceptions with a 63.3 completion percentage during his time with the Broncos. Although he looked like a shell of his former self at times, there are plenty of NFL franchises that are desperate for quarterback help this offseason.The Sporting News takes a closer look at potential landing spots for Wilson below.MORE: SteelersWhen it comes to potential Wilson suitors, it's best to look at teams that believe they are a veteran quarterback away from Super Bowl contention. Pittsburgh immediately comes to mind after making the playoffs despite ranking and last season.The Steelers struggled to find consistent quarterback play all year. Kenny Pickett started 12 games but failed to generate any momentum on offense, throwing for fewer than 200 yards per game with six total touchdowns on the year. The 2022 first-round pick was eventually sidelined due to an ankle injury and never got his starting job back.Mitchell Trubisky wasn't much better in his stead, going 0-2 in two starts with three touchdowns Julius Randle Jersey and three interceptions. Mason Rudolph gave Pittsburgh some life with a three-game winning streak to reach the playoffs, but it's clear that he's more of a reliable backup than an everyday starter.Even though Wilson is no longer a dual-threat who can bring instant offense to any team with weapons, he's an upgrade from the trio in the Steelers' QB room. If disgruntled receivers like Diontae Johnson and George Pickens stick around and running backs like Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren continue to improve, Wilson could be a bandage for Pittsburgh's broken offense.RaidersEven though Las Vegas isn't a quarterback away from Reggie Bullock Jersey contending for a Super Bowl, it needs to upgrade the most important position in football to be competitive. The Raiders finished 8-9 last season, which was respectable considering all the changes.Head coach Josh McDaniels was fired after Week 8.Jimmy Garoppolo began the season as the starting quarterback but lost the job after McDaniels got canned. Rookie fourth-round pick Aidan O'Connell was serviceable in 10 starts, throwing for 2,218 yards, 12 touchdowns, and seven interceptions, but Wilson is a better option if Las Vegas wants to start winning games now.The Raiders will enter the 2024 season with a new regime. Antonio Pierce dropped the interim tag this offseason and filled Las Vegas' head coaching vacancy. He brought on a new offensive coordinator in former Bears OC Luke Getsy.There's a chance the Raiders could target a quarterback with the No. 13 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, but they are outside of the range to land one of the top options.Wilson could be an answer in the interim, keeping star wide receiver Davante Adams satisfied with an experienced winner until Las Vegas finds a better solution.VikingsThe Vikings' 2023 season went haywire once starting quarterback Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles. They tried three other options between Joshua Dobbs, Alec Burks Jersey Nick Mullens, and Jaren Hall but never found the answer they were looking for.Now, there's a chance Minnesota needs a permanent replacement for Cousins. The veteran QB is widely considered to be . It's not a foregone conclusion that he moves on from the Vikings, but it's not certain he will return, either.RELATED: If Cousins were to take his talents elsewhere, the Vikings would immediately need to fill their quarterback void. With weapons like Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and TJ Hockensen, there would be no better QB vacancy in the NFL than Minnesota.Wilson had some talent around him in Denver with Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy, but that duo doesn't come close to what he would be working with on the Vikings Maurice Harkless Jersey .It was just two seasons ago that Minnesota finished 13-4 and won the NFC North. Bringing in Wilson would be the best move po sible to get back to that level if Cousins doesn't re-sign.Honorable mentionsThe Falcons, Patriots, and Commanders are three other QB-needy teams who could target Wilson, but help appears to be on the way for each franchise.Atlanta is heavily linked to Bears quarterback Justin Fields with Chicago's sights set on USC star Caleb Williams as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.Washington and New England are also rumored to have their eyes on rookie quarterbacks in the draft, selecting second and third, respectively.MORE: It's po sible those teams could view Wilson as a more stable option than starting fresh with a young QB, but none of the trio are one piece away from Super Bowl contention.TheBuccaneersare another team to watch if they opt not to re-sign Baker Mayfield to a multi-year, bigger-money deal.