Russell Wilson's post-Seattle Seahawks career has not gone well. He spent two years with the Denver Broncos before he was kicked out. He only stayed with the Pittsburgh Steelers for one season, and his stay with the New York Giants will likely be as long.
While the quarterback's robotic and rehearsed answers to reporters' questions have grown stale and irritating over the years, he hasn't been a terrible human being. That he tried to get general manager John Schneider and head coach Pete Carroll fired in Seattle just proves his business acumen isn't great.
But the same approach he has to answering questions could help set him up for long-term success after his playing career is done. Matt Ryan, who had a long career himself before becoming a studio analyst for NFL games for CBS, certainly believes in Wilson.
Seattle Seahawks legend Russell Wilson is close to needing a new career path
The current Giants quarterback had another chance to be an analyst himself during New York's bye week in Week 14. For the second straight year, Russell Wilson guested on CBS's pregame show, and he was what one would expect: Well-spoken and good on camera.
Speaking to the NFL Network's Ian Rapoport recently, Ryan called Russell Wilson's appearance on CBS's The NFL Today show, "natural...comfortable" and said the former Seahawks quarterback has a "wealth of knowledge" since he has "been through everything."
Wilson indeed has been through everything. He has won a Super Bowl, and he has lost one; he has been to multiple Pro Bowls, though no one ever gave him a vote for MVP. The quarterback has also been one franchise's best QB ever (the Seahawks, of course), while being one of the biggest disappointments for another (the Broncos).
If Wilson is smart, he will turn the highs and lows into a long career of talking football. He would need to stay away from selling himself too much, or selling anything really, but he knows how the game works, and he should know what works for a player off the field and what doesn't.
No one should be surprised if Wilson takes a slightly different turn and becomes a talking head on shows like Today, or is the host of a variety program. His ability to be likeable and irritating, often at the same time, is a unique skill, and probably an accidental one.
One thing seems certain, though. Russell Wilson is probably done playing in the NFL after this season. His next career is just a couple of months away.