feature-image

Imago

feature-image

Imago

Essentials Inside The Story

  • Wilson and Ciara joined the advisory board of HQ Hotels & Residences in January 2025
  • Russell's status as an NFL starter is in question following a difficult 2025 campaign
  • The QB started first three games for Giants before being benched for rookie Jaxson Dart

July 2021, Los Angeles. The day before his son Win was born, veteran NFL quarterback Russell Wilson sat at home watching his older son Future run around with a football. Russ picked up a pen and sketched a logo from his own initials, shaping them into a lightning bolt. That drawing became 3BRAND. It wasn’t a pivot away from football; it was something running alongside it. And five years later, that parallel lane has gotten considerably wider.

Terrell Owens holding Dude Wipes XL

On Monday, March 23, Russell Wilson announced the latest 3BRAND expansion: a customizable jersey line, built in partnership with Amazon.

Watch What’s Trending Now!

“Welcome to @3BRAND Jerseys!” Wilson wrote on X, complete with a picture of his family in sports jerseys. “Our partnership and project with @Amazon is finally here!! Fully customizable jerseys from @3BRAND at your doorstep as soon as 48 hours. Boys, Girls, Youth & Adult Sports! Flag football, baseball, basketball & soccer.”

ADVERTISEMENT

The custom jerseys ship in 48 hours, cover flag football, baseball, basketball, and soccer, and sit right on Amazon. For a youth sports brand, this is about as direct a line to the consumer as you can draw. 3BRAND crossed $100 million in annual sales in 2024, and its products are stocked at Macy’s, JCPenney, and over 150 Dick’s Sporting Goods locations nationwide.

ADVERTISEMENT

Wilson co-founded the brand with Ciara, launching a 40-piece collection in June 2021 through a partnership with Haddad Brands and Nike. Five years’ worth of expansions later, the Amazon tie-up is the most visible thing they’ve done.

ADVERTISEMENT

Football jerseys, though, are just one piece of Wilson’s current offseason. Back in January 2025, he and Ciara joined the advisory board of HQ Hotels & Residences. It’s a hospitality venture from SBE Entertainment founder Sam Nazarian, running through a partnership with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, with a target of 50 properties by 2030. In February 2026, Wilson posted an Instagram story from a meeting with Nazarian in Miami, writing that he’s “excited to the launching the @hqhotels together globally.”

Wilson is clearly building verticals with structural intent, not just collecting endorsements. But that’s the business side. His football side remains unresolved, and he has made it clear that the door isn’t closed.

ADVERTISEMENT

Russell Wilson’s football future

Wilson changed agents this offseason for the first time in his career. Moving on from Mark Davis, Wilson is now represented by David Mulugheta of Athletes First. Wilson has, on multiple occasions, stated that he wants to play football till his mid-40s.

For a quarterback coming off his second straight one-year deal, signing up with Mulugheta, who already represents QBs like Justin Fields and C.J. Stroud, signals a strong negotiating posture.

ADVERTISEMENT

Meanwhile, the football case for Russell Wilson is very real, but requires him to showcase that old Seattle Seahawks prime once again. His 2024 stint with the Pittsburgh Steelers (16 touchdowns, 5 picks, and 63.7% completion rate across 11 starts) was quietly competent before Pittsburgh moved on.

The New York Giants’ stint last season ended in Week 3. A 22-9 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs had the fans booing Wilson and chanting “We want Dart.” He was benched in favor of rookie Jaxson Dart in Week 4, and finished his 2025 campaign with just 3 touchdowns and 3 picks across three starts (6 games played).

ADVERTISEMENT

The market this offseason has quite some plausible fits for free agent Wilson. The Cleveland Browns have declared an open quarterback competition between Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders, and Dillon Gabriel, with no clear indication of QB1. With Sanders and Gabriel still developing and Watson shaking off injury rust, Wilson is the veteran who could help stabilize the quarterback room. 

The Las Vegas Raiders could be another destination. Las Vegas is reportedly planning around the long-term development of Fernando Mendoza, the Heisman winner projected to be picked first overall in the 2026 NFL Draft. But for Mendoza to get up to speed, the Raiders need a reliable bridge starter, a role Wilson has already filled twice now. Neither destination is glamorous, but both are available.

If no offer materializes, broadcasting is a credible Plan B. Ten Pro Bowls, a Super Bowl ring, and enough camera time that he already knows how to perform in front of one; Wilson isn’t exactly a raw broadcasting prospect. Tony Romo made that pivot from Dallas into a CBS deal worth around $18 million annually. Wilson has comparable name recognition and a cleaner late-career story to tell.

ADVERTISEMENT

The lightning bolt he sketched in 2021 now generates around $100 million in sales a year. His hotel brand is expanding globally, and now the 3BRAND jerseys are live on Amazon. Russell Wilson had already started building while he was still one of the best quarterbacks in the league. That’s the part that tends to get overlooked in the “will he get a roster spot” conversation. Whatever happens in the next few weeks of free agency, Wilson has already solved the problem of life after football.

Share this with a friend:

Link Copied!

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Written by

author-image

Utsav Jain

1,099 Articles

Utsav Jain is an NFL GameDay Features Writer at EssentiallySports, specializing in delivering engaging, in-depth coverage from the ES Social SportsCenter Desk. With a background in Journalism and Mass Communication and extensive experience in digital media, he skillfully combines sharp insights with compelling storytelling to bring readers closer to the game. Utsav excels at capturing the nuances of locker room dynamics, game-day plays, and the deeper meanings behind the moments that define NFL seasons. Known for his creative approach, Utsav believes that in today’s sports world, even a single emoji by a player can tell a powerful story. His work goes beyond traditional reporting to decode these subtle signals, offering fans a richer, more connected experience.

Know more

Edited by

editor-image

Antra Koul

ADVERTISEMENT