Russell Wilson seems to have a thing for Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton, and he's interested in being a broadcaster.
Former Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson visited with the New York Jets, which makes it at least somewhat unsurprising that Wilson is also considering a TV job, according to a report from Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
These two things may not be connected, but it makes sense in the context of Wilson's career. Wilson is now considered a backup, and he’s had a rather rough go off in that role, plus he’s been on some borderline bad teams.
The Jets would be rock bottom for the former Broncos quarterback, who was a superstar in Seattle before his career fell apart in Denver. CBS is rumored to be the leader in the clubhouse in the broadcasting department, as the network has an opening after former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan left for a high-level job in Atlanta. Andrew Marchand is also reporting that CBS has interred in Hall of Fame linebacker Luke Kuechly.
One big question here is whether Wilson would actually be any good at a TV gig. He was an expert at saying the right things when he was good, to the point where his comments were considered some of the most bland and boring ever issued by an NFL star, which is saying something.
Wilson seems to be interested in staying in the New York area, according to Florio, which makes sense. The downside for CBS is that taking a player like Wilson as an analyst often doesn’t come with a huge formal audition process, which means the network would end up paying millions for poor or mediocre performance.
To do the obligatory career review, Wilson was a third-round pick in 2012, and he won one Super Bowl and played in another during his decade with the Seattle Seahawks. He then spent two tumultuous seasons with the Broncos, then one with the Steelers and another with the Giants. He started three games in 2025 before being benched for rookie Jaxson Dart.
One NFL coach in particular would have a rough go with some of Wilson’s takes. As bland as Wilson has been with nearly everyone, he seems to have a special ire for Broncos coach Sean Payton, to the point where the quarterback even mentioned Payton’s involvement in the Bountygate scandal with the New Orleans Saints, which basically ruined the career of former defensive coordinator Greg Williams when Williams got blamed for that.
Wilson vs. Payton could generate some fiery exchanges between the two after the issues the quarterback had with Payton in Denver, which would be a great watch if it ever happened. This is something for Denver fans to keep an eye on, as its one of the few instances of a player going into TV with an over-the-top, blatant bias and an urge to carry it forward against a coach who’s been as successful as Payton has.