“Foolery,” that’s what former nose tackle Breiden Fehoko called Russell Wilson’s addition to CBS Sports’ The NFL Today. Fehoko, who shared the same locker room with Wilson in Pittsburgh during the 2024 season, has come up with a strong case against Wilson and many other NFL stars, indirectly labeling them as usurpers.
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“We just seen Russell Wilson get implemented into the state of sports media without no media background,” Fehoko said on The Breiden Fehoko Show. “We just seen Mike Tomlin go from coaching with no media background into being the face of Sunday Night Football. Michael Strahan is the face and one of the anchors, key anchors of Good Morning America, a show bigger than ESPN…But I’m supposed to believe we’re not giving black athletes and minorities a chance.
“It’s foolery that players and professional players who have no media background once they get done playing grandfather and jump this whole line of qualified media journalists and personalities that have been grinding out for years for just a chance to get an interview on TV, for just a chance to be on a national platform. That’s foolery.”
Fehoko’s comments were a response to former NFL quarterback Cam Newton’s recent statement about the injustice towards a certain section of former NFL players in the media circuit.
“Why are we doing podcast? Because the major networks aren’t giving us the same opportunity. Brother, we are forced to control our own narrative because we can’t tell a narrative to the network that gives us, or that does not give us mainstream airtime,” Newton said on 4th&1 With Cam Newton.
“Do you not think Ryan Clark is capable? We’ve seen it…Brandon Marshall, he’s a sharp guy. You got a guy like Emmanuel Acho, who verbally, his vernacular can hold its own with whoever. Do you always have to be a quarterback? Well, J.J. Watt’s not a quarterback. Luke Kuechly is not a quarterback. So what’s the metric here?”
Fehoko argued by pointing out Wilson as an example of someone who now holds reputable positions in a media outlet. After 14 years in the NFL, Wilson announced his retirement on June 3, 2026, and transitioned into broadcasting.
He joined CBS Sports and has already taken assignments for the network, appearing on The NFL Today alongside James Brown, Bill Cowher, and Nate Burleson to preview the upcoming slate of NFL games.
However, Breiden Fehoko is not in favor of former NFL players with no media or journalism experience taking up these roles. Apart from Russell Wilson, Tom Brady, Troy Aikman, Shannon Sharpe, Tony Romo, Mike Tomlin, Michael Strahan, and many others serve as primary examples of NFL stars who have transitioned into media roles.
But for many of them, including Wilson, the reason behind taking such a job is that it helps them to stay around the sport, which they have played their entire career.
“As I enter this next chapter with CBS Sports and ‘The NFL Today,’ I’m so blessed to continue doing what I love most — being around the greatest game in the world,” the former NFL quarterback said in his retirement video.
Breiden Fehoko has expressed concerns about former NFL stars taking on media roles, arguing that this can reduce opportunities for established journalists. However, there are still many media personalities, such as James Brown from CBS and Adam Schefter from ESPN, who are dedicated journalists and continue to collaborate with former NFL players.
But there is a key differentiating factor between the analysis of an NFL star and that of a journalist. While journalists are experts at reporting facts, storytelling, and holding people accountable, they have never stood in a huddle and had a locker room experience – insights that players like Wilson are uniquely qualified to share.