Noted Viking Killer Heads to TV
Not long ago, the Minnesota Vikings just could not solve the Seattle Seahawks, and their one major hurdle: prime Russell Wilson. Not quite as deadly as Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay, Wilson still represented a thorn in the Vikings’ side, and as of 2026, the man will leave the NFL as a player, at least temporarily, and join the CBS Sports booth as a broadcaster.
Wilson last played for the New York Giants and evidently won’t expressly retire.
A Former Vikings Nemesis Nears His Next Move
It’s Media for Wilson
It will be the first time Wilson hasn’t graced an NFL roster since 2011. ESPN broke the news Monday, “Quarterback Russell Wilson is finalizing a deal to become a CBS Sports analyst, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Monday. Wilson, who also had an offer on the table from the New York Jets to join the team as a backup to Geno Smith, had acknowledged last month to the New York Post that he was considering joining CBS Sports.”
“Wilson, a 10-time Pro Bowl selection who won a Super Bowl and the prestigious Walter Payton Man of the Year Award during his career, now is set to leave the NFL as a player to become an analyst on the network’s pregame show that includes James Brown, Nate Burleson and Bill Cowher. It is unclear if Wilson is retiring as a player or simply taking a pause on his playing career.”
Off the field and into the booth for Wilson, like so many of his peers before him.
Pro Football Talk‘s Mike Florio noted that Wilson is basically replacing Matt Ryan, who went to work for the Atlanta Falcons as a front office executive.
“The Jets were considering Wilson as a veteran backup to Geno Smith, who once was Wilson’s backup in Seattle. Wilson has said he had an offer from the Jets. It’s rare for any quarterback who was once the highest-paid player in the league to happily accept the second spot on a depth chart. (Joe Flacco is one of the most significant exceptions),” Florio explained.
“Wilson was the Giants’ starter when he signed there in 2025, and he was the Steelers’ starter when he signed there in 2024. His days as a starter are and were over. As to the biggest TV opportunities, those seats don’t always pop open. With Ryan exiting, there was a current opportunity for Wilson. If he didn’t take it now, it may not have been there in a year.”
His Reign over the Vikings
Make no mistake: Wilson tormented the Vikings. Teams led by him have a 7-1 record against the purple team, while Wilson personally delivered 1,763 passing yards, 16 total touchdowns, and just 3 interceptions. He also chipped in 232 rushing yards for good measure. Between 2012 and 2020 — so, nine seasons — the Seahawks won 7 consecutive games against the Vikings, with Wilson as the man behind the madness.
Based on his career split versus Minnesota, his stats, when scaled to a full season, would look like this:
— 3,746 Passing Yards
— 34 Total TDs
— 6 Interceptions
— 493 Rushing Yards
— 68.9% Completion Rate
For a while, in addition to Rodgers, Wilson was the Vikings’ Public Enemy No. 1.
A Career Splat in 2022
Wilson will become one of the most fascinating cases for the Hall of Fame in five or so years — if the booth gig means official retirement. He began his career in Seattle with tremendous seasons and only tailed off when he arrived in Denver.
With a new team, everything changed for Wilson. He turned 34 that year, and no one — especially the Broncos’ front office — remotely considered that he could encounter an age-related decline. But he did. Denver quickly soured on Wilson, especially when Sean Payton rode into town in 2023. The Broncos later cut bait, and Wilson landed with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024 and the New York Giants in 2025.
He simply was not the man from the Seattle run in Denver, Pittsburgh, or New York. He looked like a replacement-level starter who teetered on QB2 material.
These are the numbers:
Russell Wilson,
EPA+CPOE Rankings,
NFL Ranking:
2012-2021: 8th in NFL (of 32)
2022-2025: 27th in NFL (of 32)
He fell off after departing Seattle. Plain and simple.
Open to a Return?
Wilson did not retire this week, which hints at an open door in 2026 and beyond. Sadly, every year in the NFL, a handful of starting quarterbacks are lost for the season due to injury, and men like Joe Flacco become sought after in a hurry. That could be Wilson this season.
For example, pretend he’s cozy in the CBS Sports booth, but then Matthew Stafford tears something, leaving the Los Angeles Rams searching for a replacement option to accompany a roster ready to win a Super Bowl. A man like Wilson could be the first call, equipped with fresh legs and no formal retirement.
This scenario has to be in play because Wilson would’ve retired otherwise this offseason.
He’ll turn 38 in November.
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