At least one QB-needy team reportedly has no interest in Steelers' Russell Wilson

As of Tuesday afternoon, the perception existed that the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants were in the running to sign New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers with Pittsburgh's Russell Wilson on track to become a free agent when the new league year opens on Wednesday. 

Also on Tuesday, NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated indicated that Wilson could struggle to find an interested team if Rodgers ultimately picks the Giants over the Steelers. 

"Maybe Pittsburgh swallows hard and brings him back," Breer wrote about Wilson. "But other than that? I know the Tennessee Titans don’t have any interest. The Cleveland Browns just traded for Kenny Pickett and, I think, could be waiting to see what happens with Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons. And I don’t feel like there’d be much for [Wilson] as a backup out there."

Wilson missed the first six weeks of the 2024 season due to a lingering calf problem but then went 6-1 as Pittsburgh's starter. However, the Steelers later lost their final five games of the campaign (including the playoffs) with the 36-year-old in the lineup. It now seems that Pittsburgh began the legal tampering portion of free agency with Rodgers, Justin Fields and Sam Darnold ahead of Wilson in quarterback power rankings regarding options for the 2025 season. 

Fields agreed to a two-year, $40M deal with $30M guaranteed to leave the Steelers for the Jets. Darnold received a three-year, $100.5M contract from the Seattle Seahawks. If it's true that Wilson's working relationship with Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith is damaged beyond repair, the one-time Super Bowl champion signal-caller may not find an NFL home anytime soon in the event that the Giants land Rodgers. 

In a mock draft updated on Monday night, ESPN's Field Yates predicted that the Titans will make Miami quarterback Cam Ward the first pick of the 2025 draft on the night of April 24. During a Tuesday morning appearance on Cleveland sports radio station 92.3 The Fan, Browns insider Zac Jackson of The Athletic said he believed at that time the club will "probably" have Cousins on the roster by the weekend. Later in the day, Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio mentioned that "few players who were ever the highest-paid quarterback in the league welcome the holding of a clipboard" as a QB2. 

It's unclear how Wilson would feel about serving as a backup for somebody such as presumed Minnesota starter and 2024 first-round draft pick J.J. McCarthy.

On Tuesday afternoon, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler shared that "there's a reasonable chance" Wilson ends up back with the Steelers if Rodgers stays in New Jersey and joins the Giants. One can't help but wonder if the Steelers will ultimately regret not locking Fields down weeks ago via a deal similar to what he received from the Jets.