Russell Wilson wanted to bleed black and yellow. Instead, he’ll be bleeding Big Blue.
The 36-year-old quarterback “wanted to remain with the Steelers,” with whom he spent the 2024 season, “right up till the end,” which arrived Tuesday night when he agreed to a one-year deal with the Giants, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac reported Wednesday.
Wilson will make $10.5 million guaranteed this season and could make up to $21 million while playing home games in the stadium where he won his lone Super Bowl ring as a member of the Seahawks back in February 2014.
“Been here before … can’t wait to do it again,” Wilson wrote alongside an exterior shot of MetLife Stadium on his social media pages Tuesday evening.
The swift change of scenery comes two months after Wilson publicly praised the Steelers and expressed a desire to stay.
“The guys that we have, the organization is truly first class. Love the city, obviously, what it means, not just to me and [wife] Ciara and our family, but just also the National Football League, it’s a special place with special guys and we got a special coach in Coach Tomlin,” the 10-time Pro Bowler said following Pittsburgh’s wild-card playoff loss to Baltimore on Jan. 11.
“We got a special organization with special people, special players and a special fan base. It’s been truly a blessing in my life, it’s been one of the best years for me personally, to be a Pittsburgh Steeler. Obviously, I hope I’m here.”
The Steelers clearly had other plans for the position.
Before free agency began this month, it was reported Justin Fields, the Steelers’ backup last year, had “an edge” over Wilson, with ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler stating, “There is sentiment for Fields in the building, and both sides would be open to a return.”
That reunion never materialized when Fields, 26, bolted for the Jets on a two-year, $40 million deal.
The Steelers then set their sights on former Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, a veteran the Giants also eyed.
Wilson went on to meet with the Browns and the Giants as the Steelers welcomed former backup quarterback Mason Rudolph back into the fold while taking a seat in Rodgers’ waiting room.
The future Hall of Famer visited Steelers brass on Friday, days after the Vikings — a reported Rodgers preference — opted to move forward with J.J. McCarthy, a 2024 first-round pick who was sidelined last year due to a knee injury.
The meeting was said to be “positive, and the two sides will stay in touch,” according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Even as the Giants move forward with Wilson, Jameis Winston and the homegrown Tommy DeVito, the team is expected to take a quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft next month.
Winston, 31, coming off a one-year stint with the Browns, agreed to a two-year, $8 million deal with the Giants last Friday.
The Giants hold the No. 3 pick in the NFL draft, while the Steelers have pick No. 21 in the first round.
