Matt Calkins: How Russell Wilson might fare if he joins CBS' NFL pregame show

Matt Calkins, The Seattle Times on May 6, 2026

Published in Football

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SEATTLE — Russell Wilson — broadcaster.

The concept seemed neither unthinkable nor inevitable.

No doubt that there's a presence on camera. He's confident, put together, and as annoying as it might be to some — almost incessantly positive.

It's a little Ted Lasso-like, minus the one-liners … and that's where I start to wonder whether Russ could truly shine in his second act.

As you may know, the former Seattle Seahawks quarterback has been in "deep talks" with CBS to join "The NFL Today," which would essentially end his playing career if he takes the gig before next season. But even if Wilson — currently a free agent — declines the position this year, a future involving him talkin' ball for money seems likely.

My guess is that there are two schools of thought regarding how the former Super Bowl champ would fare in such a role. The first is that the dapper, polished, male half of a national power couple would offer a combination of insight and charm that would bolster an already popular Sunday sports show. The other is that dapper, polished male half of a national power couple has seldom said anything interesting in his midweek or postgame news conferences — so why would that suddenly change?

Let's start with school No. 2. It's true that Wilson's pressers have been where intrigue goes to die. Based on most of those Q&As, him being in deep talks with C-SPAN would make more sense than CBS. It wasn't that he was grumpy or rude, even in the most trying of circumstances. It's more that he was a walking pull-string doll that spit out nothing but clichés.

There was a reason the media flooded the VMAC when coach Pete Carroll spoke on Wednesdays but were sparse when Russ took the stage on Thursdays. There's a reason he was rarely worth the wait to interview after a win or loss, either.

It's not that there was animus toward the should-be Hall of Famer. It was more like skipping the house that was going to give you raisins on Halloween.

A hallmark of a good sports-panel show is humor — the ability to riff as if the cameras were capturing a group of best buds at the bar. I don't know that Wilson has that ability … but the operative words there are "I don't know."

There was another former Seahawk who broke out in a broadcasting role by the name of Greg Olsen. The tight end was a three-time Pro Bowler who played the final season of his career in Seattle. Olsen spoke to the media regularly, and though competent, was nowhere near as charismatic as, say, Richard Sherman — who now stars on the "Thursday Night Football" desk.

But in almost no time at all, Olsen became Fox's top color commentator and called a Super Bowl for the network. The only reason he's the No. 2 analyst now is because Tom Brady took over his spot. As for Brady? He wasn't exactly a gem factory during news conferences during his playing days, either. The same could be said of FOX Sports college football analyst Chris Petersen when he was coaching the Washington Huskies.

But all those names are thriving in studios or press boxes today. Could the same soon be said of Wilson?

We have, after all, seen him show a little more bite lately. Last season, Broncos coach Sean Payton — who coached Wilson in Denver — seemed to take a jab at his former signal caller. The Giants had replaced Wilson with rookie Jaxson Dart as their starter, to which Payton said "we were hoping that change would've happened long after our game."

Wilson took to X to and wrote "Classless … but not surprised … Didn't realize you're still bounty hunting 15+ years later through the media" — a reference to the "Bountygate" scandal, in which players for the Saints (Payton's former team) would receive payments for taking out opponents.

Wilson discussed this post along with other topics on Will Compton and Taylor Lewan's show "Bussin' with the Boys," where, dare I say it — he looked like a normal dude.

The truth is, Wilson isn't going to be Sherman, who uses a mixture of insight, humor and venom to entertain his audience. He would probably play the Paula Abdul "American Idol" role more so than the Simon Cowell part, but that doesn't mean Wilson can't be effective.

Russell's job in Seattle and other stops wasn't to entertain with his words, but to win with his skills. And for most of his career, he did just that.

Love him or hate him — and it seems to be one or the other for most fans — Wilson has generally gotten the job done. The third-round draft pick surprised a lot of people on the field. He may well do the same in a studio.

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