Buccaneers, Steelers betting favorites to land Russell Wilson in trade

Probably the biggest "what if" story of the ongoing NFL offseason involves the future of seven-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Tom Brady, who retired shortly after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were eliminated from the playoffs but nevertheless continues to be linked with supposed "better" contenders such as the San Francisco 49ers, his beloved childhood team. 

Fox Sports' Colin Cowherd and 49ers safety Jimmie Ward are among those who believe Brady is retired, for good, and bettors seemingly think the G.O.A.T. has at least played his final snap with the Buccaneers. 

Elsewhere around the NFL, star signal-caller Russell Wilson said in late December he wanted to remain with the Seattle Seahawks past Week 18 of the 2021 season but has been repeatedly mentioned in trade rumors. As NESN's Ricky Doyle pointed out, DraftKings Sportsbook currently has the Seahawks listed as -250 favorites to hold onto Wilson but also has the Buccaneers and Pittsburgh Steelers tied for the second spot on the list of potential Wilson employers at +1200. 

It was reported back on Feb. 10 the Buccaneers could make a "valiant attempt" to land Wilson and pursue a second Super Bowl berth in three years, and the one-time champion signal-caller may be the best option on the market depending on the to-be-determined status of Green Bay Packers starter Aaron Rodgers. 

As for the Steelers, general manager Kevin Colbert said Monday that career backup Mason Rudolph "would be our starter" if the next season began "today" but added that "we'll always look at trades" to improve the roster and club's quarterback room following the retirement of future Hall of Famer Ben Roethlisberger.