Russell Wilson on Signing Steelers Contract: 'This is the Place That I Wanted to Be'

Russell Wilson heard from "several" other suitors but opted to sign a one-year, $1.21 million deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers, even before he knew he would be guaranteed a starting spot in 2024.

"I was fortunate to have several teams call and all that, but this is the place that I wanted to be, with the Pittsburgh Steelers," Wilson said, per Mike DeFabo of The Athletic. "To wear the black and gold, it's a true honor. It's tradition. It's history.

"There are six trophies in there, and we've got to get the seventh."

The Steelers traded Kenny Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles Friday, per ESPN's Adam Schefter, effectively returning Wilson to first-string status days after his release by the Denver Broncos.

In addition to the veteran minimum, Wilson will also receive more than $37 million from the Broncos thanks to guarantees in his previous contract.

"To be a Pittsburgh Steeler is a great tradition," Wilson said, per Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "The reason why I wanted to come here is because I wanted to be able to win championships with Coach Tomlin and these guys in the locker room."

"It's a great place to be. Grateful for the opportunity to be able to get after it, and do what we came here to do, and that's to win."

Although NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that the Steelers "indicated" to Wilson that he would be the starter before signing him, Wilson shrugged off the question of his position in the depth chart Friday prior to Pickett's trade.

"Every day you wake up, you look forward to helping the team win. I think that's just honestly my focus right now," Wilson said, per Kevin Patra of NFL.com.

Wilson told reporters that Minkah Fitzpatrick, Cameron Heyward and T.J. Watt were involved in recruiting him to Pittsburgh over FaceTime, per DeFabo. The veteran quarterback referred to Watt as "a guy who really should be defensive player (of the year)."

The quarterback added that he also spoke over video call with general manager Omar Khan and coach Mike Tomlin.

"This is just the beginning of it and I'm excited for it," Wilson said, per Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "It's going to be a great journey. It's not going to be easy, but it's going to be worth it at the end and we're going to make it worth it."

With Pickett headed to Philadelphia, the Steelers' focus will now turn to finding a backup for Wilson. One potential option could be quarterback Justin Fields if the Chicago Bears decide to trade him.