Russell Wilson retires from NFL and joins CBS Sports

Russell Wilson announced his retirement from professional football on June 3, confirming that he will join CBS Sports' The NFL Today pregame show for the 2026 season, closing a 14-season career that included a Super Bowl championship, 10 Pro Bowl selections and 46,966 passing yards.

"As I enter this next chapter with CBS Sports and 'The NFL Today,' I'm so blessed to continue doing what I love most — being around the greatest game in the world," Wilson said in a video posted to social media alongside career highlights and personal footage.

CBS announced the hire on June 5. Wilson joins The NFL Today alongside host James Brown, Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Bill Cowher and analyst Nate Burleson, filling the opening left by Matt Ryan on the Sunday pregame show as it marks its 50th anniversary. Former Chicago Bears offensive lineman Kyle Long was also confirmed as a new addition.

"Throughout his career, Russell Wilson has been a winner, both on and off the field," CBS Sports executive vice president Harold Bryant said. "We're thrilled to add a Super Bowl champion and one of the NFL's best quarterbacks to our roster. Russell's preparation and leadership set him apart and we look forward to the perspective and insight he will bring to the studio straight from the field."

Wilson, 37, turned down an offer to continue playing as a backup quarterback for an NFL team in 2026 to accept the CBS role, according to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport, who first reported the deal on June 2.

The career arc that Wilson brings to the broadcast desk is one of the more complex in modern NFL history. He spent his first 10 seasons with the Seattle Seahawks after being drafted in the third round in 2012, leading the franchise to consecutive Super Bowl appearances and a dominant 43-8 championship victory over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII. He earned a Pro Bowl selection in nine of those 10 Seattle seasons and is the only quarterback in NFL history with more than 40,000 passing yards and 5,000 rushing yards.

His post-Seattle career was less smooth. A 2022 trade to the Denver Broncos went badly, with Wilson leading the NFL in sacks taken and Denver finishing 5-12. He moved to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024 and then the New York Giants in 2025, where he served primarily as a backup before being surpassed on the depth chart by rookie Jaxson Dart.

Off the field, Wilson's commercial portfolio spans his marriage to Grammy-winning singer Ciara, a series of brand partnerships, and a well-developed public profile built on faith-based messaging and community service. He won the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award in 2020.

His net worth is estimated at approximately $165 million from NFL contracts, endorsements and business ventures, placing him among the wealthier retired NFL players of his generation.