Russell Wilson Officially Retires From The NFL After 14 Seasons: ‘Thank You, Football’

Ten-time Pro Bowl quarterback Russell Wilson confirmed Wednesday in a video posted to social media that he’s retiring from the NFL to take a job with CBS Sports. Wilson’s announcement came two days after news broke that he was finalizing a deal to become an analyst on CBS’ Sunday NFL pregame show. “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,” he said in the video.

The 37-year-old also shouted out his former coach, Pete Carroll, thanking him for taking a chance on him back in 2012, when the Seattle Seahawks drafted him in the third round — even though most experts believed he was too small at 5’11” to thrive in the NFL.

Wilson’s Retirement Statement: Words That Said It All

“Thanks for taking a chance on a young, 5-11 Black kid from Richmond, Virginia, that was told he was too small to ever make it in the NFL,” Wilson said in the video, thanking his teammates, friends and family and giving special thanks to former Seahawks coach Pete Carroll.

“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. 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.“

The video ended with him thanking his wife, Ciara, and the sport he dedicated his life to. “I thank you, football… I am forever grateful,” he said.

The Path Less Travelled: From Third-Round Pick To Champion

Wilson’s path to NFL stardom was anything but conventional. Selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the third round of the 2012 draft, Wilson was widely overlooked because of his height — 5 feet 11 inches — a measurement that skeptics argued would limit him at the professional level. He beat out veteran free-agent acquisition Matt Flynn for the starting job as a rookie and never looked back.

Over his first decade in Seattle, Wilson became the franchise’s most decorated player. He made it to the Pro Bowl nine times as a Seahawk and led the team to consecutive Super Bowl appearances following the 2013 and 2014 seasons.

In Super Bowl XLVIII, Wilson threw for 206 yards and two touchdowns in a dominant 43-8 victory over the Denver Broncos, making him the shortest quarterback ever to win the Super Bowl and only the second Black starting quarterback to claim the title, joining Doug Williams.

The following February, Wilson had the Seahawks on the doorstep of a back-to-back championship before a controversial goal-line interception in Super Bowl XLIX handed the New England Patriots the win.

Seattle Seahawks: Ten Seasons Of History

Over 10 seasons in Seattle, Wilson earned Pro Bowl honors nine times while breaking nearly every passing record in franchise history, including career and single season marks for touchdowns (292, 40) and completion percentage, and career marks for passing yards (37,059), completions (3,079) and 300-yard games (21).

Following the 2020 season, Wilson won the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, becoming just the second player in team history, along with Steve Largent to win that prestigious award.

Wilson holds the record for most wins by an NFL quarterback through nine seasons and is one of five quarterbacks with a career passer rating over 99.

Wilson’s Seattle Career By Season Type

The Denver Disaster: Where The Narrative Changed

In 2022, the Seahawks traded him to the Denver Broncos in a blockbuster deal, where Wilson signed a five-year, $245 million extension and again became the league’s top-paid player. His tenure in Denver proved disastrous. The Broncos posted the worst scoring offense in the league in 2022, and Wilson was benched near the end of the 2023 season before being released.

The move resulted in a record-setting dead-cap charge of approximately $85 million, making it one of the most expensive roster decisions ever made by an NFL team.

The Pittsburgh Redemption And Giants Chapter

Wilson signed a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the 2024 season, where he reinvented himself as a reliable starter and earned his tenth Pro Bowl selection, a remarkable achievement for a quarterback at that stage of his career.

The next season he signed a one-year contract with the New York Giants. In 2026, he retired from the NFL to join CBS Sports as a sportscaster.

He began the following year as a starter for the Giants, before ultimately ceding his job to Jaxson Dart.

Complete Career Timeline

The Jets Option He Turned Down

Wilson had considered returning for a 15th season, telling the New York Post last month that he was mulling an offer to join the New York Jets and back up Geno Smith.

Smith and Wilson built a strong relationship in Seattle, where Smith spent three seasons as Wilson’s backup before eventually reviving his own career as a starter. That would have created one of the stranger full-circle quarterback rooms in recent NFL memory: Wilson, once the face of the Seahawks, backing up Smith, who once waited behind him.

Ultimately, Wilson chose TV over continuing to play.

Career Statistics: The Numbers That Define A Legacy

His final career statistics include 46,966 passing yards, 353 touchdown passes, and 5,568 rushing yards with 31 rushing touchdowns as a quarterback, placing him fourth all-time among quarterbacks in rushing yards. His career passer rating of approximately 99 ranks fifth all-time.

Complete Career Statistics

What’s Next: CBS Sports And The NFL Today

Wilson will replace Matt Ryan, who joined the Atlanta Falcons as president of football after two seasons on “The NFL Today.”

Wilson’s next job is expected to put him on CBS’ NFL pregame coverage alongside James Brown, Nate Burleson and Bill Cowher.

The transition to CBS is a natural one. Wilson has long been one of the sport’s most polished public figures, comfortable in front of cameras and media settings throughout his career.

It also places Wilson in a visible NFL role immediately. Rather than disappearing into retirement or waiting for the right football opportunity, he will be part of the weekly conversation around the league.

Ciara’s Tribute: A Family Man First

Wilson has been married to singer, entertainer and entrepreneur Ciara since 2016. The couple has three children together: daughter Sienna Princess, son Win Harrison and daughter Amora Princess. Wilson is also a stepfather to Future Zahir, Ciara’s son from her previous relationship with rapper Future.

He made sure to also thank his wife, Ciara, calling her his best friend and admitting none of it would feel as sweet without her.

Hall Of Fame Debate: Is Wilson Canton-Bound?

Wilson’s retirement immediately ignites a Hall of Fame debate that will simmer for years.

Critics will point to the lack of MVP awards, just one Super Bowl ring, and the disastrous final chapter in Denver that cast doubt on whether he was ever truly an upper-echelon signal-caller or a product of Seattle’s exceptional supporting cast and coaching environment. What is not in question is the impact Wilson had on the game. He proved that a quarterback’s height was not the disqualifying factor scouts long believed it to be, paving the way for a generation of shorter passers to receive fair evaluations at the position. He combined pocket precision with elite-level rushing ability in a way few quarterbacks in history have matched, and he remained a competitive and sought-after starter into his late thirties.

Hall Of Fame Case: For And Against

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