Steelers meeting with free-agent quarterback Russell Wilson

Nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback Russell Wilson met with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday as he prepares to become an unrestricted free agent.

ESPN and NFL Network reported Wilson’s visit, which was confirmed by TribLive via a league source.

Wilson reportedly met with the New York Giants on Thursday.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has supported quarterback Kenny Pickett, who is entering his third season but was the backup at the end of his second season. Tomlin said the Steelers will provide competition for the starting job. Pickett is the only quarterback currently signed to the roster.

Mason Rudolph finished the 2023 season as the starter but will become a free agent next week. Team president Art Rooney II, general manager Omar Khan and Tomlin each have said they would like to bring back Rudolph in 2024.

If the Steelers sign Wilson, however, that would lessen the chances of Rudolph re-signing. He has stated a desire to compete for a starting job in the NFL, which would not take place with the Steelers if Wilson is on the team.

Wilson spent the past two seasons with the Denver Broncos, but he was informed that he will be released once the new NFL calendar year begins next week. The Broncos have granted Wilson permission to negotiate with other teams.

Wilson, 35, threw 26 touchdown passes against just eight interceptions last season in 15 starts for the Broncos before he was benched at the end of the season. The divorce with Denver comes two years into a five-year, $242.6 million contract that he signed after he was traded from the Seattle Seahawks.

The Broncos will take on an $85 million hit in dead money against the salary cap over the next two seasons, and Wilson is free to sign with any team for a figure at or above the NFL veteran minimum. He is scheduled to collect $39 million from Denver this season.

At the recent NFL Combine, Khan said he has “full faith” in Pickett improving in his third season, which will be his first under new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. He also said his goal is to strengthen the position whether it is through a trade, the draft or free agency.

“I’m not going to go into details about conversations we’ve had,” Khan said, “but I can tell you I have an obligation to look at every avenue that is out there to make us a better football team.”

In 12 starts, Pickett had six touchdown passes and four interceptions. He did not play after suffering an ankle injury Dec. 3 against Arizona. Mitch Trubisky, since released, started the next two games and was replaced by Rudolph, who led the Steelers on a three-game winning streak that helped get them into the postseason with a 10-7 record.

Rudolph also started the playoff loss at Buffalo.

Khan expects Rudolph to field offers when the NFL’s two-day legal tampering period begins Monday.

“I think every player owes it to himself (to look around),” Khan said. “We still have a few weeks until the start of the league year. We would like to have him back, and I believe he wants to come back and compete. He likes it here, and we’ve had a good experience with Mason.”

Wilson was selected to the Pro Bowl nine times in his 10 seasons in Seattle. He led the Seahawks to a Super Bowl title following the 2013 season, and he was a last-second interception away from becoming a back-to-back champion. He has never started fewer than 14 games in a season since entering the NFL in 2012.