Former Steelers QB Russell Wilson was just benched by the New York Giants — and it’s terrible news for Pittsburgh’s 2026 NFL Draft capital.
According to compensatory pick expert Nick Korte, Wilson needed to play until at least Week 7 in order for the Steelers to receive their fourth-round pick — but thanks to his benching, there’s real danger that Pittsburgh’s compensatory selection could fall all the way to the sixth round unless he plays more than 40% of snaps in 2025.
And…Russell Wilson couldn’t make it past Week 3 before the bench got him.
That pretty much kills any dreams of him contributing a 4th round 2026 compensatory pick to the Steelers, and there’s a real threat of his contract falling to the 6th round.https://t.co/YyjSbsVq4b
— Nick Korte (@nickkorte) September 23, 2025
Pittsburgh is no stranger to nailing some of their compensatory picks — having selected G Willie Colon, CB William Gay, LB Vince Williams, and one of the greatest wide receivers in franchise history, Hines Ward.
The Steelers still have a few huge compensatory picks to bank on, like a possible third-rounder from losing OT Dan Moore Jr. and a fourth-rounder from losing QB Justin Fields, but Wilson’s benching no doubt threw a moon-ball-sized wrench in Pittsburgh’s draft plans.
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This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers to lose 2026 draft capital as Giants bench Russell Wilson
