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Former Giants QB Russell Wilson Trades the Huddle for the Studio

After a final chapter with the Giants, the 14-year veteran and Super Bowl champion calls it a career.
Patricia Traina|
Jan 4, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson (3) waves to fans after the game against the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium.
Jan 4, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson (3) waves to fans after the game against the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

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New York Giants

Former New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson, who made just three starts for the team before giving way to current starter Jaxson Dart, has traded in his cleats and helmet for a microphone.

Wilson announced his retirement from the NFL via his Instagram account, capping a 14-year career that included one Super Bowl championship (with Seattle), 10 Pro Bowl berths, and five All-Pro selections. The 37-year-old signal caller is joining CBS Sports and The NFL Today.

Wilson, who stands 5-foot-11, was widely considered to be too short to play quarterback in the league. But that didn’t stop him from going on to have a successful career in which he recorded a 121-80-1 record and threw for 46,966 yards and 353 touchdowns.

Best known for his days in Seattle, with whom he spent 10 seasons, Wilson was traded to Denver in 2022, where he largely struggled over a two-year span.

He was then released and spent the 2024 season with the Steelers. After failing to secure a new deal with Pittsburgh, he was brought in by the Giants on a one-year contract to serve as their starting quarterback last March.

Unfortunately for Wilson, he struggled with the Giants as well. The best of his three-game stint came in a Week 2 40-37 loss in overtime to the Dallas Cowboys, in which Wilson threw for 450 yards and three touchdowns, while also completing 73.2% of his pass attempts.

He later revealed that he had suffered a hamstring injury on Friday before that Week 2 game that he had tried to play through.

After posting a 0-3 record, then-head coach Brian Daboll decided to bench Wilson for Dart, a more mobile quarterback who better fit the style of offense Daboll wanted to run.

Wilson, to his credit, handled his demotion from the starting lineup with professionalism and class, serving as a mentor to Dart and supporting his teammates in whatever way he could.

During his career, Wilson, a prominent philanthropist, was also named the 2020 NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year winner.

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Patricia Traina
PATRICIA TRAINA

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for 30+ seasons, and her work has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The Athletic, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and the Sports Illustrated media group. As a credentialed New York Giants press corps member, Patricia has also covered five Super Bowls (three featuring the Giants), the annual NFL draft, and the NFL Scouting Combine. She is the author of The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants. In addition to her work with New York Giants On SI, Patricia hosts the Locked On Giants podcast. Patricia is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America.

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