Russell Wilson is considering a move from the football field to the television studio but he still hasn’t given up hope of joining a team with genuine playoff ambitions in 2026.
Super Bowl winner Wilson is currently a free agent after leaving the New York Giants and as it stands, his old team’s city rivals New York Jets are his best option of securing a 15th season in the NFL.
That would be as a backup to Geno Smith, while Wilson has also been offered the chance to become an NFL analyst for the 2026 season with CBS Sports.
But a source close to Wilson told the Daily Mail this week that if the quarterback turns down the Jets, it does not definitely mean his playing days are done at the age of 37.
‘He is currently leaning toward doing TV but not fully retiring and seeing how the season pans out with injuries,’ the insider said.
‘He would highly consider joining a team later in the season that is making a playoff push. He feels that TV is his future and if he gets a contract that is too good to refuse, then he will do that immediately and monitor the game from the studio.
Quarterback Russell Wilson is considering what comes next for him in his NFL career
Wilson, 37, is a free agent after a difficult 2025 campaign with the New York Giants
‘But he could have a clause in his contract that he could sign with a team if needed.’
Wilson, who is married to the hugely popular singer Ciara, started last season as the No. 1 quarterback for the Giants but lost his place to Jaxson Dart after just three games.
The source close to Wilson says that he doesn’t want that to be the final chapter of his career if he can avoid it.
‘He is eager not to retire and have one final moment, but he is OK taking a year off and trying TV,’ the source continued.
‘He’s going the route of having his cake and eating it too.’
Wilson enjoyed the biggest career success with the Seattle Seahawks, winning the 2013 Super Bowl by leading his team to an emphatic 43-8 win over Denver Broncos.
The following season, the Seahawks were back in football’s showpiece game once again but lost 28-24 to the New England Patriots, with Tom Brady’s team scoring 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter.
Speaking to the New York Post on Thursday, he confirmed he had an offer to join the Jets but was coy over what his future holds.
Wilson pictured alongside his wife, the singer Ciara, when he signed for the Giants last year
Wilson led the Seattle Seahawks to Super Bowl glory in 2014, beating Denver Broncos
Speaking of last week’s visit to Aaron Glenn’s team, Wilson said: ‘It was great.
‘They offered me, and I’m trying to figure out what the next best thing is for me to do.
‘I still know I can play ball at a high level, but I also have the opportunity to do TV, so we’ll see what happens.’
The Jets finished with a miserable 3-14 record for the 2025 campaign but drafted well with three first-round picks.
But while there is optimism that Glenn’s team will have a more encouraging campaign the second time around, if Wilson has ambition to be chasing the postseason then he might well be better served by playing the waiting game for now.