Russell Wilson, a free agent quarterback, is planning a visit to a team with which he has not been closely associated.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero have reported that Wilson will be visiting the Cleveland Browns this week. Wilson is still active with the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to Pelissero.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Wilson also plans to visit the New York Giants following his stop in Cleveland.
Wilson and the Browns do make some sense, but had not been strongly linked to each other up to this point. Cleveland was thought to be targeting Kirk Cousins as a veteran quarterback, but the Atlanta Falcons may have complicated that pursuit on Wednesday. If that is the case, it would make sense for the Browns to look elsewhere, at least for the time being.
Similarly, Wilson’s market does not appear to be robust. He is essentially the backup option for teams like the Steelers and New York Giants that are waiting on a decision from Aaron Rodgers. The Browns were not thought to be in that group of teams that might pursue Wilson, but things may be changing, especially if Wilson’s demands turn out to be modest.
Wilson played 11 games for Pittsburgh last season. He threw for 2,482 yards with 16 touchdowns and five interceptions, but played poorly down the stretch and significantly hurt his free agent value. Still, he knows the division, and could serve as a competent stopgap for the Browns, whose quarterback situation remains an absolute mess despite their previous attempts to solve it.
