Whether or not Aaron Rodgers signs with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the bridge between Russell Wilson and the team appears to be burned. As Wilson seeks his next opportunity, he could potentially return the Steelers some compensatory value in the 2026 NFL Draft. The good news is that the pick can be as high as a fourth rounder depending on the size of the deal. The bad news? The Cleveland Browns may control the fate of this situation and they have an opportunity to potentially stick it to their division rival.
The comp pick formula is designed to compensate teams that lose players in free agency, but there are certain limitations on the rule. For one, any given team can only have four total comp picks in a single draft. The Steelers are currently projected to have three, per projections from Over The Cap.
Over the cap russell wilson browns comp pick
Wilson is the last player floating around out there that is expected to sign a contract large enough to qualify as a compensatory free agent. The only problem is, that signing must happen prior to 4:00 PM ET the Monday following the draft. That would be Monday, April 28th, just a little over a month from now.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that the Browns are still pursuing Wilson, seemingly making him their top option. Fowler has also said that, despite the New York Giants signing Jameis Winston, Wilson could still be in the mix. The Steelers should hope the Giants stay involved to pressure Cleveland into making a move.
If the Browns get the sense that Wilson has zero other suitors, they could help out their own compensatory value while hurting the Steelers’ chances of picking up a fourth and final comp pick in 2026. Not to mention the fact of having zero other suitors could lower his contract price and diminish a potential comp pick down to a fifth-round pick.
For reference, Justin Fields signed a contract worth $20 million per season and he is projected to return a fourth-round pick. Wilson would have to sign a deal in roughly the same ballpark to return a fourth-round pick. I can’t imagine he fetches enough money to be worth a third-round pick for the Steelers. But none of the money will matter if the Browns wait until April 28th.
It’s worth noting that the Browns are currently a wash with zero compensatory value for 2026. If they wait, it could be a direct move to stick it to the Steelers.
As I’m sure some of you remember, the Baltimore Ravens did something similar with OT Alejandro Villanueva in 2021. They reportedly agreed to a contract before the draft, but waited to sign him until the week after to ensure they didn’t hurt their compensatory value (or help the Steelers’).
Normally, players like Russell Wilson who have been in the league for a long time wouldn’t count towards the compensatory formula. Ten accrued seasons typically limits a player to returning a fifth-round pick at the most, but quarterbacks don’t count for that rule, per OTC’s comp pick expert Nick Korte on X.
The Steelers are already expected to have three comp picks in 2026, including the second-best third rounder and the best fourth rounder. Tacking on another third, fourth, or fifth from Wilson would only further the Steelers’ impressive stockpile of draft value. Keep in mind that they will be hosting the draft next year, and they will also likely be in the market for a quarterback. Every last pick helps to be able to maneuver up the first round.
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