Russell Wilson spent the last 14 years as an NFL quarterback.
He is the shortest starting quarterback to win a Super Bowl.
He’s a 10-time Pro Bowl selection whose moon ball is one of the prettiest, most dangerous downfield passes in league history.
Now he’s calling it quits — at least as a player.
On Wednesday, Wilson announced both his retirement from the league and his new gig as an analyst for CBS Sports on its studio show “The NFL Today.”
“I’m so blessed to continue doing what I love most: being around the greatest game in the world,” Wilson said in a 3-minute video that he posted to social media with the caption, “Thank you, Football.”
The next day, CBS Sports announced the addition of Wilson and former three-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman Kyle Long to “The NFL Today” on-air team. They will join a panel that will continue to include Nate Burleson, Bill Cowher and James Brown.
Former NFL MVP Matt Ryan left the show this offseason to become the president of football for his longtime former team, the Atlanta Falcons. Former three-time defensive player of the year J.J. Watt exited the studio group the previous offseason to become a booth analyst for the network.
Long is a three-time Pro Bowl selection who spent all seven of his NFL seasons with the Chicago Bears. He has been with CBS Sports as a studio and game analyst since 2020. His father, Pro Football Hall of Famer Howie Long, has been a studio analyst on rival show “Fox NFL Sunday” since its inception in 1994.
“This is everything a boy like me could have ever dreamed of, having watched my dad be in the studio, sitting on James Brown’s knee in 1994 at the desk,” Long said Thursday during an appearance with Wilson on “CBS Mornings.” “I knew this is where I wanted to be. CBS has been awesome, and we get to do it every Sunday now.”
Burleson, also a host on “CBS Mornings,” said his advice to newcomer Wilson would be to “just bring the same passion that he brought for the game to the studio.”
“People are going to get to see a different side of Russ, which I’m excited about,” the former NFL receiver said.
Selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the third round of the 2012 draft, Wilson led the team to its first Super Bowl championship following the 2013 season and back to the big game a year later. After 10 seasons in Seattle, he played two years with the Denver Broncos, one with the Pittsburgh Steelers and one with the New York Giants.
Last month, Wilson told the New York Post that he received an offer from the New York Jets to serve as a backup to quarterback Geno Smith. During his career, Wilson threw for 46,966 yards with 353 touchdowns and 114 interceptions and ran for 5,568 yards (fourth all-time for a quarterback) with 31 touchdowns.
In his video, Wilson expresses gratitude to many people, including former Seahawks coach Pete Carroll “for taking a chance on a young, 5-11 Black kid from Richmond, Va., that was told he was too small to ever make it in the NFL.”
He also thanks his wife, pop star Ciara, “for being my greatest blessing, my best friend, my partner through it all,” and the rest of his family.
Ciara commented on Wilson’s Instagram post: “The best in the world! There’s only one, 3! Always so proud of you! It’s a true blessing to go on this journey with you! My greatest inspiration! I love you so much!”
And, of course, Wilson just wanted to say thanks to the sport he loves.
“You’ve been my joy and peace and safe place,” he said. “You taught me discipline, faith, 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 others.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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