Veteran NFL quarterback Russell Wilson, who will reach 38 years of age this November, is finalizing an agreement to become an analyst for CBS Sports, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Monday. Wilson is anticipated to join “The NFL Today,” CBS’s Sunday pregame program, which also features host James Brown, former NFL wide receiver Nate Burleson, and ex-Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Bill Cowher.
This announcement comes prior to what would have been Wilson’s fifteenth professional season. He spent the initial ten of those years in Seattle, where he won Super Bowl XLVIII with the Seahawks during the 2013 season and narrowly missed achieving back-to-back championships the subsequent year. In 2022, he was involved in a trade to the Denver Broncos and received a hefty extension that ultimately resulted in an unprecedented $85 million in dead cap space when the experienced signal-caller was released in 2024.
For the majority of the 2024 season, he served as the primary quarterback for the Steelers. The previous season, he initially secured the starting quarterback position for the New York Giants, only to be replaced by rookie Jaxson Dart following a 0-3 beginning to the season.
Wilson, recognized as a Pro Bowler on ten occasions, including most recently in 2024 while with the Steelers, had a meeting with the New York Jets at the end of April. He informed the New York Post that the Jets presented him with a contract offer, but he was also contemplating a shift towards television broadcasting.
The quarterback roster for the Jets is presently spearheaded by Geno Smith, a player Wilson previously started ahead of during his time in Seattle. This group of signal-callers also comprises first-year player Cade Klubnik, along with Brady Cook and Bailey Zappe. Instead of becoming part of this lineup, Wilson is reportedly pursuing a career in broadcasting for the current season.
Following his NFL debut in 2012, Wilson amassed numerous honors acknowledging both his performance on the field and his contributions off it. His impact outside of play was nationally acknowledged when he received the Walter Payton Man of the Year award in 2020.
The Seahawks selected Wilson in the third round from the University of Wisconsin. However, his collegiate journey began at North Carolina State. Despite not possessing the typical stature for a quarterback, the under-six-foot Wilson rapidly ascended the pecking order in Seattle. His impressive preseason performances eclipsed the significance of Matt Flynn’s offseason acquisition, and from there, his legacy was established. Wilson assumed control of the Seahawks’ offense and maintained that role for a decade.
Sometimes operating as a composed game manager and at other times an elusive, scrambling playmaker, Wilson’s accurate throws and versatile run-pass threat capability harmonized with Seattle’s top-tier defense for many years. He guided the Seahawks to the playoffs on eight occasions, clinching the NFC championship twice.
Following his departure from Seattle, Wilson participated in just a single playoff contest, which occurred during the 2024 season with the Steelers, a team that once more experienced an early exit from the postseason.
Across almost fifteen years of professional football, Wilson amassed statistics including 46,966 passing yards, 353 touchdown passes, 114 interceptions, 5,568 rushing yards, and 31 rushing touchdowns. His lifetime passer rating stands at 99.3. He achieved the highest passer rating in the league during the 2015 season. Two years subsequently, in 2017, his total of 34 touchdown passes represented the pinnacle among NFL quarterbacks.
Wilson is now prepared to embark on a fresh phase of his professional life, a possibility he hinted at when he appeared as a guest commentator for CBS during his bye week in 2025.
