In 2010, the Colorado Rockies selected Russell Wilson in the 4th Round. As a second baseman prospect, he joined them for spring training but decided to go back to football. He thought he could come back to NC State, where in 2009 he threw 325 passes without any interceptions. An NCAA record. But Coach Tom O’Brien conceded to doubters and snubbed Wilson. “No, you just go focus on baseball, you’re not going to be able to make it in football” is what Wilson had to hear from the college where he excelled.

Unfortunately, for O’Brien, Wilson stuck with football, and the rest is history. Super Bowl XLVIII champion, 10-time pro-bowler, 2nd highest career passer rating (100.3), Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year. RW was a nightmare to play against. He was just that good. But we were so close to witnessing a completely different story? After all, what if Wilson hadn’t come back to football?

“Baseball was my first love since I was 3 years old. It’s something that’s meant a lot to me. It was my dad’s dream for me to play two sports, so I’ve never killed the dream and probably never will. It’s something that I think about all the time,” Russell told ESPN’s The Herd in 2015. He thinks about it even now, a decade later. In a recent interview with SI, Russell Wilson talked about his dreams when he was a young boy. “You know what’s crazy is when I was a young kid, one of my biggest goals in life was to play for the New York Yankees and, you know, play professionally, pro baseball, pro football.” And to a certain extent, what he dreamt of came true.

Notably, the Yankees acquired his rights from the Texas Rangers in 2018. And in the same year, he appeared in the pinstripes’ spring training. They called him in to be a pinch hit for Aaron Judge, but when he walked to the podium, World Series champion Max Fried stood at the Pitcher’s Mound. It was a battle between Russell and Fried in Yankee Stadium.

“Who am I facing?” asked Russell “Max Fried. He’s like the number one prospect in baseball.” Russell said, “Okay, great. Let’s go. You know, and he threw me that first pitch like 95, 96 miles per hour fastball, and I was right on time. I mean, I just, I mean, if it was, you know, not even an inch lower, that ball would have gone.” Such was the power of Wilson and his baseball talent dynamics!

Hence, it’s safe to say that if RW had been a pitcher, he would have been crazy to watch in the MLB. With Russell Wilson already talking about a possible end to his NFL career, who knows? He might just do a Jordan.

Russell Wilson talks about Retirement

Wilson started his NFL career in Seattle, where fans adored him, and the breakup between them left many heartbroken. However, trouble with the Seahawks’ management led him to Denver. And in Week 1, he made his return to the Lumen Field, at that time CenturyLink Field. Fans booed him on his return. No doubt, that was a tough phase in Wilson’s career, especially after his period with the Seahawks ended. But thankfully, he was working with his mental coach, Trevor Moawad, who guided Wilson to remain calm even in tough situations. Of course, he lost his rhythm in Denver, and it extended into his stunt in Pittsburgh. Wilson was still there, standing tall, embracing every opportunity coming his way. In 2025, the 36-year-old signed a one-year deal with his third team in five seasons.

But now the retirement is on his mind. “It’s called a career,” he told Sports Illustrated‘s Conor Orr. Adding “You look back at somebody’s career over a 20-year period—I would say that 18 or 19 or even 17 of my 20 years, if they’re great years, would you complain? And I think that everything in life happens for a reason.” This wasn’t him calling it an end. This was him setting into reality. An understanding that a long career like his is one to cherish in a league where the average career lifespan for a player is 33 years. And he has had some incredible years in his career. But let’s not write him off yet.

RW joined the New York Giants this season, and he only had one thing to say. “It’s New York, if you can win here. You can win anywhere.” And he has won. He lifted the Super Bowl trophy in New York. “People always ask me what’s my favorite stadium. You know it’s like man where I won the Super Bowl.” This will be a year of redemption and proving the haters wrong for RW. Like he did with O’Brien, it’s his chance to set things right again. But with the Giants this time.