Former Steelers QB Russell Wilson says goodbye to football after 14 seasons in the NFL
QUESTIONS. TAKE A LOOK. YOU’VE BEEN IN PITTSBURGH A FEW MONTHS NOW. I WANT TO GET YOUR INITIAL THOUGHTS OF THE CITY. HAVE YOU DONE ANYTHING PITTSBURGH RELATED? WHAT DO YOU THINK SO FAR? MAN, I LOVE THE YINZERS. IT’S BEEN FUN. I JUST, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE BEST PART IS JUST, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THIS CITY IS FULL OF BLACK AND GOLD EVERYWHERE. I THINK THAT IT’S THE BEST PART ABOUT IT. I THINK THE CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN FOOTBALL, OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, BASEBALL AND HOCKEY AND ALL OF THAT TOGETHER AS ONE, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY COACH TOMLIN IS AMAZING HOW HE RUNS THINGS. THIS ORGANIZATION WITH MR. ROONEY. AND YOU KNOW, JUST IT’S A REALLY SPECIAL PLACE. YOU KNOW. BUT I THINK THE BEST PART IS, IS JUST, YOU KNOW, THE LOVE OF THE GAME HERE. I’VE IT’S BEEN ONE OF THE BIGGEST TREATS OF MY CAREER COMING HERE AND PLAYING HERE. SO FAR. AND I’M EXCITED ABOUT IT. YOU RECENTLY HAD A SANDWICH NAMED AFTER YOU. I HAVE A SANDWICH NAMED AFTER ME. IT’S DANGEROUS. OKAY. HAVE YOU HEARD? SOMEBODY MENTIONED IT? I DIDN’T KNOW IF IT WAS REAL OR NOT. IT’S REAL. OH, OKAY. ALL RIGHT, IT’S REAL. IT IS AN HONOR TO HAVE A SANDWICH THERE NAMED AFTER YOU. IT KIND OF MEANS, YOU KNOW, YOU MADE IT. OKAY, YOU GOT TO THAT POINT. YOU MAY HAVE ANSWERED MY NEXT QUESTION. DID YOU HAVE ANY INPUT ON WHAT IS ON THE SANDWICH? NO, I DON’T EVEN KNOW. YOU GOT TO TELL ME WHAT’S ON THE SANDWICH, I HOPE, I HOPE I LIKE IT BECAUSE I WANTED TO GET IT RIGHT. SO HAVE YOU BEEN TO MANNY’S BEFORE? I’VE BEEN ONCE. YEAH. SO, YOU KNOW, IT’S IT’S IT IS A SANDWICH. YEAH. OKAY. SO IT’S PEPPERONI, SALAMI, HAM, BACON AND THEN THEY ALWAYS ALL THINGS I LIKE ALL RIGHT. YEAH. PROVOLONE CHEESE. THEN YOU GOT FRESH CUT FRIES ON THERE. OKAY. COLESLAW, TOMATO. I LOVE IT ALL. I’D PROBABLY TAKE THE TOMATO OFF. YOU KNOW, THAT’S JUST ME. BUT I LOVE IT. I LOVE IT, ALL RIGHT. SOUNDS GOOD. TAKE ME BACK TO MAYBE THE INITIAL CONVERSATIONS OF HOW THIS ALL STARTED WITH YOU KNOW, TOMLIN OR, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE KIND OF WHO WAS INVOLVED AND KIND OF HOW, HOW HOW IT CAME TO BE. YEAH, IT HAPPENED PRETTY QUICK ACTUALLY, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, AS SOON AS I GOT RELEASED, YOU KNOW, I GOT TO TALK TO COACH TOMLIN AND OMAR. IT WAS EXCITING FOR ME. THE PHONE STARTED RINGING QUITE A BIT FOR ME, AND I WAS LIKE, OKAY, YOU KNOW, BUT WHEN COACH TOMLIN CALLED, I HAD A HUGE SMILE ON MY FACE. I GOT TO TALK TO HIM FOR A GOOD HOUR AND A HALF OR SO EARLY IN THE MORNING, AND WITH HIM AND OMAR AND JUST WE HAD A REALLY, REALLY GREAT FACETIME CALL. I’M NOT SURE IF IT WAS. I THINK IT WAS ZOOM, ACTUALLY. I DON’T KNOW. BUT WE HAD A GREAT CALL AND SHORTLY AFTER THAT I GOT TO TALK TO TO CAM HEYWARD. WE PROBABLY TALKED FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF, TWO HOURS ON THE PHONE, ME AND CAM JUST ABOUT LIFE, BALL FAMILY, THE TRADITION OF PITTSBURGH STEELERS, LATROBE, ALL OF THAT. AND AND JUST WINNING AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. AND I GAVE IT I TRIED TO GIVE IT A LITTLE BIT OF TIME, BUT I WAS LIKE, LET’S JUST LET’S JUST LET’S GO. LET’S DO THIS. I WANT TO WIN. AND THIS IS THIS IS THE PLACE TO DO THAT. COMING INTO THIS BEING UP AGAINST HIM, YOU KNOW, KNOWING HIS REPUTATION AROUND THE LEAGUE, WHY DID YOU WANT TO COME HERE AND PLAY FOR HIM? WELL, I THINK A FEW THINGS. FIRST OF ALL, GOING TO COACH TOMLIN IS, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW HE’S A VIRGINIA GUY. YOU KNOW I KNOW I KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS. YOU KNOW WHAT KIND OF CLOTH HE’S CUT FROM. I ALSO KNOW GOING AGAINST HIM AND THE TYPE OF TOUGHNESS THAT THAT THIS PITTSBURGH STEELERS TEAM AND ORGANIZATION HAS HAD FOR ALL THESE YEARS, ALL THE GREAT PLAYERS BEFORE ALL THE CHAMPIONSHIPS, BEFORE. AND, YOU KNOW, IT’S HARD TO WIN IN THIS LEAGUE AS OFTEN AS HE HAS 17 STRAIGHT YEARS IN A ROW OR WHATEVER IT IS. IT’S IT’S FASCINATING. IT’S A FASCINATING NUMBERS. IT’S ONE OF A KIND. IT’S IT’S A LEGENDARY NUMBERS AND THAT’S REAL. AND YOU KNOW WHAT HIS PASSION FOR WANTING TO WIN YOU KNOW, ONE, TWO, THREE MORE MINE AS WELL. I THINK WE BOTH RELATE. AND THERE’S MORE TO PROVE. AND THERE’S THINGS THAT WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH TOGETHER AS A COLLECTIVE EFFORT. HE’S DONE IT. I’VE DONE IT. BUT WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO DO IT TOGETHER. ALL RIGHT, THERE HE IS. LIVE ON THE FIELD WARMING UP FOR THIS MONDAY NIGHT MATCHUP RUSSELL WILSON A LOT MORE TO COME FROM MY ONE ON ONE SIT DOWN WITH HIM. DID HE HEAR THE BOOS LAST WEEK AND THE JUSTIN FIELDS CHANTS WHEN HE WENT THREE AND OUT THREE TIMES IN A ROW AND YOU KNOW, A LOT MORE? WHY DIDN’T HE DECIDE TO KIND OF JUST HANG IT UP AFTER HE GOT RELEASED FROM DE
Former Steelers QB Russell Wilson says goodbye to football after 14 seasons in the NFL
Updated: 11:14 AM EDT Jun 4, 2026
Ten-time Pro Bowl quarterback Russell Wilson confirmed Wednesday in a video posted to social media that that he’s retiring from the NFL to take a job with CBS Sports.Wilson’s announcement came two days after news broke that he was finalizing a deal to become an analyst.“As I enter this next chapter with CBS Sports and ‘The NFL Today,’ I’m so blessed to continue doing what I love most — being around the greatest game in the world,” he said in the video.Wilson played 14 seasons after being taken by Seattle in the third round of the 2012 NFL draft out of N.C. State. He spent his first 10 seasons with the Seahawks, leading them to their first Super Bowl championship in the 2013 season. He was traded to Denver after the 2021 season and spent two rocky years with the Broncos before playing one season in Pittsburgh and another for the New York Giants.Wilson threw for 46,966 yards, with 353 touchdown passes and 114 interceptions.He joins Peyton Manning and Dan Marino as the only quarterbacks to throw at least 20 touchdown passes in each of their first three seasons and is one of seven quarterbacks to be selected to 10 Pro Bowls.Wilson is the only player in NFL history with at least 30 touchdown passes and fewer than 15 interceptions in four straight seasons. He also had three seasons with at least 30 TD passes and 500 yards rushing, which is the most in NFL history.In the video, which was about three minutes long, he thanked his teammates, friends and family and gave special thanks to former Seahawks coach Pete Carroll.“Thanks for taking a chance on a young, 5-11 Black kid from Richmond, Virginia, that was told he was too small to ever make it in the NFL,” Wilson said.Wilson is the shortest starting quarterback to win a Super Bowl.Wilson will replace Matt Ryan, who joined the Atlanta Falcons as president of football after two seasons on “The NFL Today.” Wilson had considered returning for a 15th season, telling the New York Post last month that he was mulling an offer to join the New York Jets and back up Geno Smith.His video featured highlights from his career and footage of him visiting patients at Seattle Children’s Hospital. It ended with him thanking his wife, Ciara, and the sport he dedicated his life to.“I thank you, football. … I am forever grateful,” he said.___AP Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi contributed to this report.
NEW YORK —
Ten-time Pro Bowl quarterback Russell Wilson confirmed Wednesday in a video posted to social media that that he’s retiring from the NFL to take a job with CBS Sports.
Wilson’s announcement came two days after news broke that he was finalizing a deal to become an analyst.
“As I enter this next chapter with CBS Sports and ‘The NFL Today,’ I’m so blessed to continue doing what I love most — being around the greatest game in the world,” he said in the video.
Wilson played 14 seasons after being taken by Seattle in the third round of the 2012 NFL draft out of N.C. State. He spent his first 10 seasons with the Seahawks, leading them to their first Super Bowl championship in the 2013 season. He was traded to Denver after the 2021 season and spent two rocky years with the Broncos before playing one season in Pittsburgh and another for the New York Giants.
Wilson threw for 46,966 yards, with 353 touchdown passes and 114 interceptions.
He joins Peyton Manning and Dan Marino as the only quarterbacks to throw at least 20 touchdown passes in each of their first three seasons and is one of seven quarterbacks to be selected to 10 Pro Bowls.
Wilson is the only player in NFL history with at least 30 touchdown passes and fewer than 15 interceptions in four straight seasons. He also had three seasons with at least 30 TD passes and 500 yards rushing, which is the most in NFL history.
In the video, which was about three minutes long, he thanked his teammates, friends and family and gave special thanks to former Seahawks coach Pete Carroll.
“Thanks for taking a chance on a young, 5-11 Black kid from Richmond, Virginia, that was told he was too small to ever make it in the NFL,” Wilson said.
Wilson is the shortest starting quarterback to win a Super Bowl.
Wilson will replace Matt Ryan, who joined the Atlanta Falcons as president of football after two seasons on “The NFL Today.” Wilson had considered returning for a 15th season, telling the New York Post last month that he was mulling an offer to join the New York Jets and back up Geno Smith.
His video featured highlights from his career and footage of him visiting patients at Seattle Children’s Hospital. It ended with him thanking his wife, Ciara, and the sport he dedicated his life to.
“I thank you, football. … I am forever grateful,” he said.
___
AP Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi contributed to this report.