Russell Wilson is no longer pursuing an NFL playing job and is beginning the 2026 season as an analyst for CBS Sports, effectively ending a 14-year playing career that included a Super Bowl championship and 10 Pro Bowl selections.
Wilson makes his debut on CBS’ “The NFL Today” on September 13, joining James Brown, Bill Cowher, Nate Burleson and Kyle Long. That new job explains why fans looking for Wilson on an NFL roster this season will instead find the former Seattle Seahawks quarterback behind a television desk.
There is, however, a small wrinkle to the question, “Did Russell Wilson retire?”
Did Russell Wilson Officially Retire?
For practical purposes, yes: Wilson has moved on from playing and CBS itself has described the former quarterback as retired.
But Wilson created a little ambiguity with the way he announced the transition.
In June, Wilson posted a farewell video thanking football while confirming that he was joining CBS. NFL.com noted that Wilson never explicitly said in the video that he was retiring, even though his message was widely treated as a retirement announcement throughout the NFL.
CBS Sports subsequently listed Wilson as having announced his retirement, and its 2026 player outlook says he retired in June before joining “The NFL Today.”
So there is little mystery about Wilson’s immediate plans: He is not playing during the 2026 NFL season.
His television move also represents a significant change from where Wilson stood only a few months earlier.
What Happened to Russell Wilson’s NFL Contract?
Wilson entered 2026 without a contract after spending one season with the New York Giants.
The Giants signed Wilson to a one-year, $10.5 million deal before the 2025 season, with incentives capable of pushing its value as high as $21 million.
His stay did not go as planned.
Wilson started the Giants’ first three games in 2025 before first-round pick Jaxson Dart replaced him. Wilson ultimately appeared in six games and finished with 831 passing yards and three touchdowns, both career lows for a full NFL season.
He initially remained interested in playing in 2026. In January, Wilson said he was “not blinking” at retirement talk and still believed he could play at a high level.
The New York Jets later made Wilson a contract offer, according to NFL.com. Wilson said in May that he was deciding between continuing to play and taking a television opportunity. He ultimately chose CBS instead.
That sequence makes his CBS move more consequential than a former player simply taking a media job years after retirement: Wilson had a path back onto an NFL roster and chose broadcasting.
What Is Russell Wilson Doing on CBS?
Wilson is joining CBS Sports’ long-running Sunday pregame show, “The NFL Today.”
He replaces Matt Ryan, who left the network to return to the Atlanta Falcons as team president. CBS announced Wilson and former Chicago Bears offensive lineman Kyle Long as additions alongside Brown, Cowher and Burleson.
Wilson leaves the field with 46,966 passing yards and 353 touchdown passes. He won Super Bowl XLVIII during his decade with the Seahawks before later playing for the Denver Broncos, Pittsburgh Steelers and Giants.
His CBS role gives viewers an unusually recent quarterback perspective: Wilson was still starting NFL games less than a year before his television debut.
Who Is Russell Wilson’s Wife? Who Is His Ex-Wife?
Wilson’s wife is singer Ciara. The couple married in July 2016 after beginning their relationship the previous year.
Wilson was previously married to Ashton Meem, his high school sweetheart. They married in 2012 and divorced in 2014.
Wilson’s move to CBS now begins the next phase of a football career that appeared headed toward at least one more NFL season as recently as the spring.
Instead, when viewers see Wilson on Sundays in 2026, he will be analyzing quarterbacks rather than competing with them.
Did Russell Wilson Retire? Why He’s Joining CBS for 2026 NFL Season