Russell Wilson, the winningest quarterback in franchise history and a Super Bowl champion, made official his move from the field to a job in television.
John Boyle
Russell Wilson, who spent a decade rewriting the Seahawks record books while also helping lead the team to its first Super Bowl title, made it official that he is stepping away from the game to take a role in television.
The video, in which Wilson says thank you to the game of football, to his coaches, teammates, fans, family and others, doesn't use the word retirement, but feels like an implied one, if not an official announcement. And presuming Wilson's playing days are indeed done, he will be wrapping up a 14-year career that included 10 seasons in Seattle in which he established himself as the best quarterback in team history and one of the best of his era.
Wilson arrived in Seattle as a third-round pick who was viewed as too short to succeed in the NFL, but he quickly won the starting job as a rookie and established himself as a dynamic playmaker on a young, up-and-coming team. The Seahawks reached the playoffs during his rookie season, falling just short in a divisional round loss in Atlanta, then won it all the next year, bringing the Lombardi Trophy to Seattle for the first time in franchise history.
Over 10 seasons in Seattle, Wilson earned Pro Bowl honors nine times while breaking nearly every passing record in franchise history, including career and single season marks for touchdowns (292, 40) and completion percentage, and career marks for passing yards (37,059), completions (3,079) and 300-yard games (21).
Following the 2020 season, Wilson won the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, becoming just the second player in team history, along with Steve Largent to win that prestigious award.
Wilson was eventually traded to Denver in 2021, netting the Seahawks a haul of picks, including those used on Charles Cross, Devon Witherspoon, Derick Hall and Boye Mafe, all of whom helped bring the Seahawks their second Super Bowl title last season.
Wilson then spent two seasons with Denver, one with Pittsburgh and one with the Giants before making the decision this offseason to take on a television role as an analyst on CBS Sports' the NFL Today.
As he thanked the game of football in the 3 minute, 15 second video he posted on social media, Wilson gave his thanks to his family, including his parents, his siblings, his wife Ciara and their four children, and also those who helped shape his decade-long career in Seattle, from Pete Carroll to his teammates to the fans to the kids he visited weekly at Seattle Children's Hospital.
"To Coach Carroll, thanks for taking a chance on a young, 5-11 Black kid from Richmond, Virginia that was told he was too small to make it in the NFL," Wilson said. "We knew what winning was like.
"To every teammate I've had the privilege of sharing the locker room with, thank you for the sacrifices, the brotherhood, the memories. None of this is possible without you. To every fan who supported me through the highs and lows, your belief, your energy and passion meant more than you'll ever know.
"To Seattle, you raised me. Not just all the all the wins and crazy loud games, but also the forever memories after we won the Super Bowl. But even more important, the kids at Seattle Children's hospital. You gave me hope and belief in a better tomorrow, and hopefully I did the same for you."
