Russell Wilson officially retired and joined CBS Sports, closing the book on a career that made him the greatest quarterback in Seahawks history.
Russell Wilson made it official Wednesday. The 37-year-old quarterback announced his retirement from the NFL and confirmed he is joining CBS Sports as an analyst on the network’s pregame show alongside James Brown, Nate Burleson and Bill Cowher.
In his retirement post, Wilson reflected on what the game gave him, thanked Pete Carroll for taking a chance on a 5-foot-11 quarterback in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft and said football shaped him into the man he is today.
"You've been my joy, my peace, my safe place," Wilson said in a video. "You taught me discipline, faith and resilience. How to keep believing no matter the circumstances. You've given me purpose and opportunity. Opportunity to inspire others and create change, to continue to evolve the game, not just for me, but for the next generation of ballers. You've also given me the greatest gift of all: family. ...
"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"
Wilson spent the first decade of his career as one of the most important players in Seattle Seahawks history. He led the franchise to back-to-back Super Bowl appearances in Super Bowl XLVIII and Super Bowl XLIX, winning the championship in his second season with a dominant 43-8 victory over the Denver Broncos. He was a 10-time Pro Bowler, led the NFL with 40 touchdown passes in 2020 and holds nearly every major passing record in franchise history.
Where Wilson stands in Seattle history is not a debate worth having. In 10 seasons with the Seahawks, he threw for 37,059 yards and 267 touchdowns while compiling a 101.8 passer rating, all franchise records. His 40 touchdown passes in 2020 remain the most in a single season in team history. He also recorded 24 fourth-quarter comebacks as a Seahawk, another franchise mark.
His rookie season remains one of the most impressive debut years by a quarterback in NFL history. Wilson won 11 games as a starter, threw 26 touchdown passes and ran for nearly 500 yards, immediately changing the direction of the franchise. Carroll took a chance on a 5-foot-11 third-round pick in 2012 and watched him become the most decorated quarterback the Seahawks have ever had.
Only Steve Largent, the Hall of Fame receiver who defined the franchise in the 1970s and 1980s, can genuinely share space with Wilson in the conversation about the greatest player in Seahawks history. Wilson is the greatest quarterback in Seattle history, and that part is not close.
The trade to Denver in 2022 for a package of five draft picks and two players became one of the most seismic moves in recent NFL history, and it did not go well. Wilson was released by the Broncos in 2024 after two difficult seasons, briefly revived his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 2024 season and then signed with the New York Giants in 2025. He started three games before being benched for rookie Jaxson Dart.
Wilson spent the final weeks of that season as a guest analyst on CBS Sports, offering a preview of what was coming next. Now his playing career is officially over, and his next chapter begins in television after a career that forever changed the Seahawks franchise.
