Steelers' Potential Trade Target Talks Parting Ways With Russell Wilson: "I'm So Happy For Russ"

The Pittsburgh Steelers are dealing with many new faces joining the team for the 2024 season. General Manager Omar Khan and the Steelers had one of the most active free agencies in recent memory. One of those new faces is quarterback, Russell Wilson. Wilson was known for his time with the Seattle Seahawks, but he spent the two seasons before joining Pittsburgh with the Denver Broncos. His time with Denver was rough, and definitely didn't go as planned, but he still has his former teammates vouching for him.

There was a ton of drama surrounding Wilson while he was in Denver. His first season there in 2022 was a disaster, but a lot of the blame could be attributed to first-time Head Coach Nathaniel Hackett. A narrative began that Wilson was a bad teammate, and the Broncos struggled again in 2023. After leaving Denver, Wilson's former teammates have had nothing but good things to say about him. His favorite target, Courtland Sutton, joined DNVR Sports where he talked about Wilson getting cut.

"That was a tough pill to swallow. You see the writing on the wall, I think they made a business decision moving Russ. I'm so happy for Russ. For him to get picked up as soon as he did, I think it speaks to the caliber of player he is. I think it speaks to the caliber of person he is, and the way he goes about his work and business. I think that's something Pittsburgh saw and ultimately knew they couldn't pass up on."

Wilson being cut by Denver was partly a business decision, and also a decision by Head Coach Sean Payton. Payton clearly didn't like Wilson, and didn't see him in his future plans. Wilson had a great year in 2023, throwing 26 touchdowns and just 8 interceptions in 15 starts. He was benched for the last two games of the season because he refused to waive his injury clause, and the Broncos had clear intentions to cut him after the season.

Sutton was clearly Wilson's favorite target during his two seasons in Denver. Over the two years, the duo combined for 119 catches, 1,576 yards, and 12 touchdowns in just 29 games. They were a rare bright spot on a Broncos team that could never really live up to their true expectations. Sutton spoke more about Wilson and his reputation.

"I think he's going to have a lot of success. I think Russ is going to continue to build his Hall of Fame legacy. I say that very boldly because I think he gets a bad rap from a few different things that didn't go the way we wanted them to go. I think that the quarterback position gets hit the hardest because that's the guy that controls everything that goes on with the offense. When we as an offense weren't doing very well, I think he caught the wrath of it." 

Just watching the Broncos a few times over the last two seasons, it was clear the issues and shortcomings weren't entirely on Wilson. The defense was atrocious at times, even giving up 70 points to the Miami Dolphins. He had two head coaches in two years, that's a hard situation to succeed in. Moving on from Denver was best for Wilson, and he'll likely succeed come 2024.

Steelers Could Pursue Courtland Sutton

Sutton and the Broncos aren't on the greatest of terms ahead of the 2024 season. He wants a new deal, and it doesn't seem like Denver has any plans to give him one. He didn't show up to any of the team's organized team activities (OTAs), but will be attending mandatory minicamp. If he skipped minicamp, he would receive a substantial fine for each day.

Denver is clearly on the brink of a rebuild. They have a rookie quarterback and they traded their second best wide receiver during the 2024 offseason. If Sutton and Denver can't get one the same page soon, Pittsburgh should be making calls to try to trade for Sutton. 

What do you think about Sutton's remarks about Wilson? Let us know in the comments below!

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