Former Pro Bowl quarterback Russell Wilson announced his retirement from the NFL on Wednesday.
Thank You, Football.
— Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) June 3, 2026
Love, #3 pic.twitter.com/hqlS7kWQpy
Wilson reportedly finalized a deal this week to become a CBS Sports analyst for the upcoming season, but it was unclear if he'd step away from football for good. He played 14 years in the NFL between the Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos, Pittsburgh Steelers, and New York Giants.
The Wisconsin product was drafted by the Seahawks in the third round in 2012. Despite being a rookie, Wilson was named the Week 1 starter ahead of Matt Flynn, who Seattle just signed to a three-year, $20.5-million contract in free agency just months before the season.
Wilson led the Seahawks to five consecutive playoff appearances to start his career and helped Seattle hoist the Lombardi Trophy with a dominant victory in Super Bowl XLVIII. The team returned to the Super Bowl the following year, but Wilson's interception at the goal line with under 30 seconds remaining sealed a dramatic loss to the New England Patriots.
The 37-year-old served as Seattle's starter for 10 years and is the organization's all-time leader in passing yards. The Seahawks traded Wilson to the Denver Broncos in 2022 in a blockbuster deal that included two first-round picks, and he later signed a massive five-year, $245-million contract extension with the club.
However, Wilson's Broncos tenure lasted just two campaigns, going 11-19 as a starter before getting benched near the end of the 2023 season. He was released at the start of the 2024 new league year and signed a contract to become the Steelers' starter a few days later. He spent the 2025 campaign with the Giants, opening the season as their starter before getting replaced by rookie signal-caller Jaxson Dart.
Wilson made 10 Pro Bowls and earned one second-team All-Pro nomination during his career. His 46,966 passing yards rank 16th on the NFL's all-time list.
