Russell Wilson fallback options revealed if Steelers weren’t interested

NFL Free Agency began with a bang, as late Sunday night Russell Wilson reported a bombshell on X. He was signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

This deal makes some sense, as Wilson gets an opportunity to bounce back with a functional organization after a disastrous two seasons with the Denver Broncos. The Steelers will upgrade from Kenny Pickett, and Wilson gets another chance under center.

While the match with Pittsburgh makes sense for both sides, it turns out, Pittsburgh isn't the only team Wilson was considering. The Athletic's Diana Russini reported that if Wilson hadn't landed in Pittsburgh, he had a pair of fallback options on his mind.

Raiders and Patriots were teams of interest to Russell Wilson if Steelers deal didn't materialize

Russini reported that Wilson had two teams in mind, the New England Patriots and the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Patriots made some sense after the team traded Mac Jones away, but with New England selecting third in the upcoming NFL Draft they'll have an opportunity to select one of Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, or Jayden Daniels. With their quarterback situation in flux, it'd probably be wise to hand the keys to their franchise to one of them.

The Raiders would've been a fun landing spot for a couple of reasons. First, they're in the AFC West with the Broncos, giving Wilson at least two chances to face off against his former team. It'd be quite the story if Wilson went to Vegas and led the Raiders to the playoffs thanks to victories against the Broncos. Plus, throwing to a guy like Davante Adams never hurts. The Raiders are a team more likely to go through free agency to find their quarterback for the 2024 season, making Wilson a realistic option.

It's unclear as to whether the teams would have shown the same interest as Wilson, but a six-hour meeting with Mike Tomlin and the Steelers brass was all the former Super Bowl champion needed to sign on the dotted line.