Russell Wilson is putting a pause on his playing career.
The free-agent quarterback has an accepted an offer to join CBS Sports for its Sunday pregame show and more, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Monday.
Wilson, 37, is opening a new chapter in his football career despite having an offer to be a team's backup in 2026, per Rapoport.
Wilson spent 2025 with the New York Giants, starting three games before being replaced by rookie Jaxson Dart and then leapfrogged on the depth chart by Jameis Winston. He appeared in three more games by season's end, totaling 831 yards and three touchdowns on 119 pass attempts, all career lows.
The veteran QB told the New York Post in May that he was weighing a contract offer from the New York Jets while also having an opportunity to become an NFL analyst. Wilson going to the Jets would've made for an interesting battle on the depth chart behind Geno Smith, with fourth-round rookie Cade Klubnik, Bailey Zappe and Brady Cook also on the roster.
Perhaps a new opportunity over the coming year will sway Wilson into putting a pause on his new career as an analyst, or he returns in 2027 with a year of rest under his belt.
But for now, Wilson will begin the 2026 season behind a CBS desk instead of an NFL sideline on Sundays.
