Last season, when the New York Giants signed Russell Wilson to become their next starting quarterback, the expectation was that he could hold the spot for at least a year. The contract was a one-year deal, so that after he left, rookie Jaxson Dart would take over, but that happened a bit earlier than expected.
After starting the season 0-3, the Giants decided to bench Wilson for Dart, and that put the nail in the coffin for Wilson’s career as a starter. Now, the former Super Bowl champion is on his way to the media space as an analyst.
NFL World Reacts to Surprise Career Decision From QB Russell Wilson
At one point, Wilson was one of the best QBs in the NFL and helped lead the Seattle Seahawks to two Super Bowl appearances. Things changed quickly after he was traded to the Denver Broncos, and since then, his career has declined, culminating in his benching last season.
In those first three games, according to PFSN’s QB Impact Metric, Wilson was ranked 28th in Week 1, 3rd in Week 2, and 31st in Week 3. Maybe if that week 2 game had been a win, he would have had more time, but it wasn’t. Now, with not many options in the open market, Wilson has decided to take a break from football to join CBS as an analyst.
Here is how the NFL World reacted to the news:
Dallas Cowboys analyst Tom Downey questions if this is a short-term move or if it means Wilson is retired, “Nah he’s retiring lol Man turns 38 later this year and is joining a pregame show.”
Nah he’s retiring lol
Man turns 38 later this year and is joining a pregame show. https://t.co/AwijGXUEUH
— Tom Downey (@WhatGoingDowney) June 1, 2026
Denver Broncos podcaster Cameron Parker believes that Wilson was not left with many options and had to go with his backup choice, “Russell Wilson chose his “backup” option instead of being a backup?”
Former NFL QB Chase Daniel brings up the very relevant question of: “Is He a Hall-of-Famer?”
Is He a Hall-of-Famer? https://t.co/TlAEuspPsr
— Chase Daniel (@ChaseDaniel) June 1, 2026
Detroit sports content creator Chris Castellani explains how interesting Wilson’s career was in the NFL, “One of the stranger careers of recent memory. High highs, extremely low lows, and a lot of WTF.”
One of the stranger careers of recent memory. High highs, extremely low lows, and a lot of WTF. https://t.co/P6pUzBPx8O
— Chris Castellani (@Castellani2014) June 1, 2026
New York Jets beat reporter Brian Costello talks about Wilson having a workout with the Jets and that this outcome was expected, “It always felt like this is where Wilson was headed even after his workout with the Jets.”
It always felt Ike this is where Wilson was headed even after his workout with the Jets. https://t.co/kczoAZRx5s
— Brian Costello (@BrianCoz) June 1, 2026
Jets beat writer Antwan V. Staley praises the move by Wilson to go into the media space, “He’s going to make a lot of money in TV for years to come. Smart decision.”
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Fantasy football analyst Ian Hartitz reminisces on some of the crazy moments Wilson had with the Seahawks, “Happy retirement, Russell Wilson. Pulled off some of the most bats**t crazy off-script voodoo we’ve ever seen from the position. The sideline chemistry with Tyler Lockett was unbelievable. MOON BALLS. Good 10-year run as an easy top-10 QB with a solid case for top five. Hell yeah!”
Jets reporter Rich Cimini speaks on the Jets’ interest in Wilson and what their plan is at QB2, “The Jets had expressed some interest, which included a visit. For now, they are evaluating their in-house QB2 options as Wilson moves into TV.”
If this is really it for Wilson’s career, then it’s going to be fun to see how people react to his entire time in the NFL. As some of the reactions above pointed out, it was a bit of a rollercoaster, and now that he is retired, the Hall of Fame is one of the next topics of discussion.
Will Wilson get in?
