Russell Wilson has found himself at a crossroads. His one-year stint with the New York Giants is over, with the team now focused on developing Jaxson Dart. Wilson, meanwhile, recently visited the New York Jets as a potential backup to Geno Smith, but no deal appears close. And while his 2026 playing future remains uncertain, momentum is building around what could come next after football.

As May began, The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand reported that Wilson is in deep discussions about entering broadcasting, with CBS emerging as a leading option, particularly after Matt Ryan left the network to become president of football for the Atlanta Falcons earlier this year.

“Russell Wilson is in deep discussions to go into television, which could mark the end of what is likely a Hall of Fame career as an NFL quarterback, sources briefed on the talks told The Athletic,” Marchand wrote. The NFL Today, CBS’ Sunday pregame show, is considered the favorite as the two sides have had lengthy talks, the sources said.”

The idea of Wilson moving into broadcasting has been building since last season during his time with the Giants. It also makes sense why CBS is positioned as the frontrunner. Wilson has already had prior exposure with the network in guest roles.

During the 2025 season, after Dart took over as the Giants’ starting quarterback, Wilson appeared as a guest analyst during the team’s Week 14 bye. This time, though, the situation appears more serious, pointing toward a potential full-time transition into media that could mark an end to his NFL career.

If a deal is finalized, Wilson would step into the role vacated by Ryan. The current CBS lineup includes host James Brown alongside analysts Nate Burleson and Bill Cowher. As of now, the network has not publicly commented on the discussions.

The timing is also notable. The development comes shortly after former Pittsburgh Steelers and Wilson’s head coach Mike Tomlin joined NBC’s Football Night in America. Whether Wilson follows a similar path into television remains uncertain. What is clear, though, is that amid the speculation around a new role, Russell Wilson has reportedly visited the Jets for a potential backup role, adding another layer to the growing uncertainty around his future in 2026.

The Jets hosted Russell Wilson to add depth behind Geno Smith

Geno Smith spent three seasons as Russell Wilson’s backup with the Seattle Seahawks before taking over as the full-time starter in 2022. Now, there is a scenario where that dynamic could flip. Since acquiring Smith, the Jets and general manager Darren Mougey have been exploring the market for a veteran backup quarterback.

Before the draft, the Jets held discussions with Wilson and scheduled a post-draft visit so they could stay focused on their draft process. Once the 2026 NFL Draft wrapped up, they followed through, hosting Wilson while head coach Aaron Glenn evaluated the quarterback room alongside Smith.

According to reports, Smith spoke positively about his time with Wilson in Seattle during the 2020-21 season, when he served as the backup. That familiarity adds context, though it does not confirm anything yet about Wilson’s role in 2026. Still, there appears to be mutual interest as the Jets consider adding experience behind their starter.

“After those comments at the owner’s meetings, we got back, and we kind of spoke as a group and talked about it, and that landscape really hasn’t moved much,” Mougey said at the owners meetings, addressing the QB room. “And we felt good about that at that time and didn’t anticipate it moving, so it felt like, ‘OK, let’s go into the draft. Let’s see where we come out. We will reconvene and say, OK, now let’s look at the landscape. Let’s look at the picture. Let’s have some good discussions about what we know we have now coming out of the Draft and kind of further evaluate it.’ So, we’ll see in the coming weeks.”

Wilson is coming off a brief stint with the Giants, where he started three games and recorded 778 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions during the 2025 season. What comes next remains open, whether that is joining the Jets as a backup or stepping away from the field and moving toward a potential broadcasting role, with CBS currently seen as a leading option.