Updated
Updated · NBC Sports · Jun 4
Russell Wilson Retires, Joins CBS NFL Today for 2026 as Kyle Long Lands Full-Time Role
Updated
Updated · NBC Sports · Jun 4

Russell Wilson Retires, Joins CBS NFL Today for 2026 as Kyle Long Lands Full-Time Role

3 articles · Updated · NBC Sports · Jun 4

Summary

  • Russell Wilson said Wednesday he will retire from the NFL and move straight into CBS's The NFL Today as an analyst for the 2026 season.
  • CBS confirmed the hire Thursday and said Kyle Long will also join the Sunday pregame show, where he is being elevated to a full-time analyst role.
  • James Brown, Bill Cowher and Nate Burleson will remain on the desk, giving CBS a revamped five-man lineup for NFL Sundays.
  • Long, a former Bears lineman, last played in 2019 and has worked for CBS since 2020, while CBS pitched Wilson as a Super Bowl-winning quarterback bringing current on-field perspective.

Insights

Can Russell Wilson's famously polished persona deliver the unfiltered analysis that modern NFL fans demand?
How will CBS's new lineup compete against NBC's retooled show in the escalating war for Sunday pregame ratings?
With legends like Wilson and Tomlin joining TV, is star power replacing coaching insight in the battle for NFL viewership?