Russell Wilson: “Thank You, Football” — A 14-Year Career Comes to a Close
In June 2026, Russell Wilson posted a three-minute video to social media, thanking the sport that had defined his adult life. “Thank You, Football,” he wrote, alongside footage centred mostly on his decade in Seattle but touching on his one-year stint in Pittsburgh too. After 14 years, a Super Bowl ring, and stops with four different franchises, one of the more accomplished and, at times, most debated quarterbacks of his generation had played his final down.
The Seattle years: a Super Bowl and nine Pro Bowls
Wilson was selected in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft, a pick widely questioned at the time given his height, and spent his first ten seasons proving that scepticism wrong emphatically. He made nine Pro Bowl appearances with the Seattle Seahawks and won Super Bowl XLVIII in the 2013 season, delivering the franchise’s only championship. In 2020, he was named the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year, recognition for his charitable and community work alongside his on-field excellence — a genuinely complete decade by any measure.
The Denver trade, and a difficult reset
Seattle traded Wilson to the Denver Broncos ahead of the 2022 season in a blockbuster deal that carried enormous expectations. Those expectations went largely unmet: Wilson struggled significantly in Denver, and the team finished 4-11 in his first season there. He lasted just two years with the Broncos before being released, a genuinely humbling turn for a quarterback who’d been among the league’s most consistent performers for the previous decade.
Pittsburgh: a promising start, a rough finish
Wilson signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024, taking advantage of NFL rules that permitted him to sign before free agency began since Denver had already released him. His Pittsburgh tenure began with a recurring calf injury, first suffered pushing a sled during a training camp conditioning drill, which delayed his season debut. Once healthy, he led the Steelers to wins in six of his first seven starts, a genuinely strong stretch that had him on track for a possible long-term contract extension. It didn’t hold: Wilson and the Steelers lost their final five games of that season, including a playoff exit, and Pittsburgh moved on without him the following year, instead bringing in Aaron Rodgers.
A brief, difficult stop with the Giants
Wilson signed with the New York Giants for the 2025 season but made just three starts, all losses, before being replaced by rookie first-round pick Jaxson Dart. He made a handful of relief appearances afterward but didn’t start again, closing out his final NFL season having lost his last eight starts across his two most recent stops.
Considering a return, then choosing television instead
Entering 2026, Wilson made clear in multiple interviews that he wanted to keep playing, telling the “Bussin’ With the Boys” podcast he’d always envisioned playing until at least age 40. He confirmed receiving a contract offer from the New York Jets, though reporting made clear he would have joined as a backup to Geno Smith rather than as a starter. Ultimately, Wilson chose a different path: accepting an offer to join CBS Sports’ Sunday pregame show as a studio analyst, officially retiring from playing in June 2026.
The numbers behind the career
Wilson finishes his NFL career with a 121-80-1 record as a starter, more than 46,000 passing yards, 353 passing touchdowns against just 114 interceptions, and 31 additional rushing touchdowns — genuinely elite career totals that place him among the more productive quarterbacks of his generation, even accounting for the rockier finish to his career in Denver, Pittsburgh, and New York. Whether that résumé is enough for first-ballot Hall of Fame induction remains a genuinely debated question among analysts, with most describing his case as borderline rather than clear-cut.
Where his career stands
Russell Wilson’s 14-year NFL career will likely be remembered in two distinct chapters: a genuinely great decade in Seattle that included a Super Bowl title and nine Pro Bowl selections, followed by a more turbulent final stretch across Denver, Pittsburgh, and New York that never recaptured that same level of sustained success. Both chapters are part of the same honest story, and together they add up to a career worth the “Thank You, Football” send-off he gave it.
Quick facts
Full name: Russell Carrington Wilson | NFL career: 2012-2025 (retired June 2026) | Notable: Super Bowl XLVIII champion, nine-time Pro Bowl selection, 2020 Walter Payton Man of the Year, career totals of 46,966+ passing yards and 353 passing touchdowns, now a CBS Sports studio analyst.
Frequently asked questions
Has Russell Wilson retired from the NFL?
Yes — he announced his retirement in June 2026 after 14 seasons, joining CBS Sports as a studio analyst.
Did Russell Wilson win a Super Bowl?
Yes — Super Bowl XLVIII with the Seattle Seahawks, in the 2013 season.
What was Russell Wilson’s record with the Pittsburgh Steelers?
He won six of his first seven starts in 2024 before Pittsburgh lost their final five games, including the playoffs, to close out his lone season there.
What are Russell Wilson’s career passing statistics?
121-80-1 as a starter, with over 46,000 passing yards, 353 touchdowns, and 114 interceptions across 14 seasons.
Is Russell Wilson a Hall of Fame candidate?
He’s considered a borderline candidate by most analysts — a strong résumé, but unlikely to be a first-ballot selection.