Russell Wilson announces move to CBS in apparent retirement video

Bob Condotta, The Seattle Times on Jun 3, 2026

Published in Football

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SEATTLE — Former Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson made it official Wednesday that he is joining CBS Sports to serve as an analyst on the NFL Today.

He did so in a three minute and 15-second video posted to social media that also served as a goodbye to his NFL career and an apparent announcement of his retirement after 14 seasons, 10 with the Seahawks from 2012-21, though he never uses the word retire in the video or post.

“Thank You, Football. Love #3, wrote Wilson, who led the Seahawks to their first Super Bowl win in franchise history in his second year with the team following the 2013 season.

Near the end of the video Wilson stated: “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. ... I thank you, football. I thank you, I thank you, I thank you. I am forever grateful. Love, 3.’’

It was first reported a month ago that Wilson was considering a move to CBS Sports. He had served as a guest analyst on the NFL Today during a bye week for the New York Giants late last season. It was widely reported Tuesday that he was finalizing an agreement with CBS, with Wilson confirming the news Wednesday.

He is filling a spot that opened when former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan decided to return to his former team as President of Football. Wilson will work alongside James Brown, former Steelers coach Bill Cowher and Nate Burleson, a Seattle native and former Seahawk. CBS Sports officially announced the hiring of Wilson shortly after he posted his video Wednesday.

The video Wilson posted included highlights of every stage of his football career as well as shoutouts to former Seahawks coach Pete Carroll and the city of Seattle.

“To Coach Carroll, thanks for taking a chance on a young five, eleven black kid from Richmond, Virginia that was told he was too small to ever make it in the NFL. We knew what winning was like."

Later, he stated “to Seattle, you raised me. Not just all the wins and crazy loud games but also the forever memories after we won the Super Bowl (beating Denver 43-8 following the 2013 season)."

He referenced the visits he made every Tuesday during the NFL season to Seattle Children’s Hospital stating “but even more important, the kids at Seattle Children’s Hospital, you gave me hope and belief in a better tomorrow, and hopefully I did the same for you.

Wilson played last season with the New York Giants but was benched after starting the first three games — all losses — as the team instead decided to turn to rookie Jaxon Dart.

Wilson became a free agent in March and had not signed with another team.

He had made a visit to the New York Jets and reports stated he had an offer to sign with the team as a backup to Geno Smith and one report on Tuesday stated that for now he was taking “a pause’’ in his career, appearing to leave open the possibility that he could play again someday.

But Wednesday’s video and the move to CBS Sports seem to indicate that Wilson's playing days are over, especially considering he had appeared to draw little interest this off-season as a free agent — he turns 38 in November.

If so, Wilson will become eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame five years from now, and also is sure to be inducted into the Seahawks Ring of Honor, with the question being if the team also decides to someday retire his jersey No. 3.

That honor has so far gone only to players who spent their entire careers in Seattle and also made the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and Wilson's number has been used by other players since he left the team in 2022 and is currently worn by safety Nick Emmanwori.

Wilson came to Seattle as the 75th overall pick of the 2012 draft out of Wisconsin and started all but three games for the Seahawks over the next 10 seasons, leading the Seahawks to eight playoff appearances and two Super Bowls.

He also is the team's career leader in numerous passing categories including most career yards (37,059), most yards in a single game (452 against Houston in 2017), best career passer rating (101.8), most attempts (4,735), most completions (3,079), most touchdown passes (292), best touchdown rating (6.2), lowest interception rate (1.8) and highest average gain per pass (7.8). He is second in completion percentage at 65.0 behind Smith’s 68.5.

Wilson was 121-80-1 as Seattle's starting quarterback — the best mark in team history, including 9-7 in the postseason. But he was just 17-27 after being traded to Denver in 2022 and 0-1 in the playoffs, a wild-card loss with the Steelers following the 2024 season.