Key Takeaways
- Ahead of his debut as a CBS Sports analyst on The NFL Today, recently retired quarterback Russell Wilson used social media to hype up wife Ciara’s high-energy BitterSweet Festival performance in Poland, praising her dancing and massive crowd response.
- Wilson chose television over a backup QB offer from the New York Jets, walking away from a 14-season NFL career that included 46,966 passing yards, 353 touchdowns, 10 Pro Bowls, and a Super Bowl win with the Seahawks, after a final year with the New York Giants.
- The career pivot caps an eventful summer for Wilson and Ciara, who celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary and have both spoken publicly about their relationship, including Wilson recalling that he met Ciara just days after praying for specific qualities in a partner.
Russell Wilson may be the one starting a new job, but this weekend, he was busy hyping up Ciara.
Ahead of his debut as an analyst for CBS Sports, the recently retired quarterback turned his attention to his wife’s performance at the BitterSweet Festival in Poland. Wilson shared multiple clips from Ciara’s set over the weekend, including footage of the singer dancing onstage and performing for a packed outdoor crowd.
“James Brown & MJ would be proud! @Ciara,” Wilson wrote on X alongside one performance clip, adding laughing, heart-eyes, and dancing emojis. A day earlier, he posted footage showing the size of the audience gathered for her set. “POLAND!!! Loves some @ciara,” he wrote. “I see you my love! 🎶🎤🎵 #YES.”
The posts come as Wilson and Ciara settle into a noticeably different football season. For the first time since they married in 2016, Ciara won’t be watching her husband suit up on Sundays. Wilson officially retired earlier this summer after 14 NFL seasons and is now preparing to join The NFL Today on CBS alongside James Brown, Nate Burleson, and Bill Cowher.
CBS has already begun promoting its revamped crew ahead of the season, with Wilson featured prominently in the network’s rollout. The move completes a career pivot that Wilson was still debating just a few months ago.
The New York Jets offered Wilson a contract this spring to serve as the backup to Geno Smith, reversing the roles the two once held in Seattle. Wilson publicly acknowledged that he was torn between extending his playing career and moving into broadcasting. “I still know I can play ball at a high level, but also I have an opportunity to do TV,” he said in May.
Television ultimately won.
Wilson leaves the field with 46,966 passing yards, 353 touchdown passes, 10 Pro Bowl selections, and a Super Bowl championship with the Seattle Seahawks. His final NFL season came with the New York Giants in 2025, where he began the year as the starter before losing the job to Jaxson Dart.
The transition comes during an eventful summer for Wilson and Ciara beyond their respective careers. The couple celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary in July, with Ciara writing that after a decade of “laughing, dancing, dating, holding hands, being passionate, praying, forgiving,” she would “say Yes all over again.”
Wilson has been equally vocal about his wife. During a recent appearance on Baby, This Is Keke Palmer, he recalled praying over five qualities he wanted in a partner—and meeting Ciara three days later.
