Russell Wilson Finalizing CBS Deal

In May, the Jets made an offer to the 37-year-old. No deal was reached, however, and no arrangements with other teams seemed imminent this spring. Wilson made clear his intention of continuing to play in 2026, and he expressed a desire to remain in New York after spending 2025 with the Giants. For at least one season, though, his attention will turn to a TV gig. Wilson will likely serve as Matt Ryan‘s replacement on CBS’ The NFL Today this fall.

Ryan had a short tenure in that capacity before choosing to take charge of the Falcons’ front office this offseason. That vacancy is now set to be filled by another quarterback with a decorated resume. Wilson has a Super Bowl championship to his name along with an appearance in another title game. The 10-time Pro Bowler enjoyed a highly successful run in Seattle which lasted from 2012-21; over that span, Wilson was widely viewed as being on a Hall of Fame track.

Things have taken a turn for the worse since that time. Wilson was dealt to the Broncos in a blockbuster trade, a swap which did not produce the desired result for Denver. After serving as QB1 during Nathaniel Hackett‘s disastrous campaign as head coach, Wilson clashed early and often with Sean Payton. His statistical output rebounded to an extent, but before the 2023 season ended it was clear the organization would be moving on. The Broncos proceeded with a release, allowing Wilson to take a low-cost deal with the Steelers.

Upon returning to the lineup following a calf injury, Wilson remained atop Pittsburgh’s depth chart. He led the team to a wild-card appearance, but team and player parted ways last spring. That resulted in the Giants lining up a deal as part of their QB changes. New York added Wilson and Jameis Winston along with the first-round selection of Jaxson Dart. Wilson opened the campaign as the Giants’ QB1, but he was benched after making three starts. Dart took over starting duties, while Winston is still in the fold as his backup.

A Wilson-Jets agreement would have given the team another experienced signal-caller to pair with Geno Smith, who was acquired via trade this spring. With no signing having taken place, though, a Jets backup competition is now set to take place. It will be interesting to see if injuries during training camp result in the Jets – or any other team – circling back to Wilson as an insurance option.

Failing that, attention will turn to how things play out on the analyst front. Wilson has played 222 combined regular and postseason games in the NFL, starting all but three of them. He has amassed over $315MM in career earnings, a figure which ranks fifth all time. Adding to either of those totals will not be possible provided Wilson spends the coming year with CBS, and doing so will increase the chances of him electing to hang up his cleats.