Russell Wilson NFL teams timeline: How star quarterback moved around following Super Bowl Seahawks tenure

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Early in his NFL career, it looked like Russell Wilson would live out the ideal career of a star quarterback, remaining with the franchise that drafted him and that he won a Super Bowl with until the day he retired.

Things changed, however, as Wilson aged — and now, as he's officially stepping away from the field for good and moving into the studio at CBS, he leaves a legacy behind with multiple franchises, rather than just the Seattle Seahawks.

While Wilson will be remembered most for his contributions as a young star, leading the Seahawks to multiple Super Bowl appearances and a win, he also took on a veteran backup role in his later years.

Here's a full recap of Wilson's NFL career, lasting from 2012 through 2025.

MORE: Why Russell Wilson chose to retire after 14 years in NFL

Russell Wilson NFL teams timeline

Seattle Seahawks, 2012-21

Wilson was the new face of the Seahawks from the moment he stepped in as a rookie starter in 2012. After being a third-round pick out of Wisconsin, Wilson was awarded Seattle's QB1 role off the jump — and with Pete Carroll's defense already being one of the NFL's best, Wilson only lifted the team more.

As a rookie, Wilson threw for 26 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, with the Seahawks winning 11 games and making a playoff appearance. Even with a star-studded defense, especially at quarterback, he was becoming one of the faces of the franchise.

Wilson's trajectory only exploded in 2013, when the Seahawks then won 13 games and the Super Bowl; the quarterback continued to post strong numbers, with the "Legion of Boom" defense also leading the way to the Lombardi Trophy.

From that point on, Wilson was one of the most recognizable figures in the NFL as the quarterback of a Super Bowl winner, even if he wasn't quite at the level of Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers. With his steady play, big arm and willingness to use his legs, Wilson was one of the better starters across the NFL for years to come — including the following 2014 season, when Seattle made another run to the Super Bowl but ultimately came up short when Wilson made the most well-known mistake of his career by throwing an interception at the goal line to Malcolm Butler.

At 26 years old, Wilson entered his prime years with the Seahawks with two Super Bowl appearances and four Pro Bowl nods, set to be one of the faces of the NFL for years to come. But in reality, while Wilson did remain an excellent quarterback, he would never reach such high stages again.

In each of the next two seasons, the Seahawks won 10 games, but fell in the divisional round of the playoffs. In 2017, Seattle missed the postseason altogether, and despite consistently being a good team over the next few years, once the defense took a step back from its historic years, Wilson and Carroll could never quite get the Seahawks over the hump again, even with Wilson having some outstanding seasons — like 40 touchdown passes and 4,212 passing yards in 2020.

By the end of the 2021 season, Wilson had led the Seahawks to the playoffs five times since the 2014 Super Bowl loss, but none of those appearances resulted in a conference championship berth. It became apparent that the team's formula was growing stale — even if Wilson's individual numbers were still strong.

When Wilson would leave Seattle, he held the record for most wins by an NFL quarterback through nine seasons, had at one point been the highest-paid player in the league, became the third quarterback in NFL history to throw 30 touchdowns in four consecutive seasons, had nine Pro Bowl selections and a Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, and ranked among the all-time leaders in plenty of franchise stats.

Denver Broncos (2022-23)

On March 16, 2022, the Seahawks traded Wilson and a fourth-round pick to the Broncos in exchange for two first-round picks, two second-round picks, a fifth-round pick, quarterback Drew Lock, defensive lineman Shelby Harris, and tight end Noah Fant.

There were some conflicting reports at the time about whether it was Wilson or the Seahawks who sparked the trade conversations, but nonetheless, an era in Seattle was over as the team moved on from its longtime quarterback. But Wilson was still in his prime and coming off another great 2021 season, hence why he cost Denver two first-rounders to acquire.

With the Broncos still seeking to return to relevance seven years after Peyton Manning's retirement, they hoped Wilson was finally their answer at quarterback — a proven veteran who could lead the team back to the playoffs. They certainly paid Wilson like a superstar, inking him to a  five-year, $245 million extension before his first season in Denver in 2022.

However, Wilson's time as the Broncos' quarterback did not go according to plan.

In 2022, he dealt with some injuries but threw 11 interceptions and led the league in sacks taken as the Broncos won just five games and had the NFL's worst scoring offense, prompting head coach Nathaniel Hackett to be fired.

Seeking to bounce back in 2023 under a well-known coach in Sean Payton, Wilson did show some improvements — he cut down his turnovers and threw 26 touchdown passes while Denver hung around .500 — but ultimately, it wasn't meant to be.

By the end of the 2023 season, the Broncos were evidently ready to end their expensive Wilson experiment. He was benched by Week 15 for what the franchise called aiming to "preserve financial flexibility," and by the following March, Wilson would be released.

Pittsburgh Steelers (2024)

Following his rough exit from Denver, Wilson's stock wasn't very high. But he was undoubtedly still an NFL starter capable of high-level throws, and with the Steelers needing a passer of that mold to take over after Kenny Pickett's struggles, they signed Wilson to a one-year deal.

Wilson, however, did have some competition for the QB1 job for the first time in his career. Pittsburgh also acquired a former first-round pick, Justin Fields, from the Bears. Ultimately, Mike Tomlin showed a preference for the veteran in the quarterback room. Despite Wilson missing the first few games of the 2024 season with an injury and Fields playing well, once Wilson was healthy, he stepped into the starting role.

For a few months, it looked like the best version of Wilson was back — a player who could make pinpoint deep throws, avoid mistakes and move around in the pocket. Pittsburgh had a 10-3 stretch and was leading the AFC North late, but then the offense began to struggle, and the Steelers went on a four-game losing streak.

The Steelers still snuck into a Wild Card spot, and Wilson was named a Pro Bowler, but despite his solid numbers (270 yards, 2 touchdowns, 0 interceptions) against the Ravens in the first round of the playoffs, Pittsburgh was eliminated. That would also be Wilson's final playoff game.

New York Giants (2025)

In reality, Wilson proved in the 2024 season that he had enough left in the tank to be a starter in the NFL as he continued aging. But no team was willing to give him that bonafide role after he crumbled with the Steelers late in the season.

Wilson settled for a one-year deal with the Giants, where he was bound for more competition with first-round rookie Jaxson Dart and fellow veteran Jameis Winston. 

Brian Daboll did name Wilson the Week 1 starter, giving Dart some time to watch and learn on the bench, but it was short-lived. In Week 1, Wilson completed less than half of his pass attempts for 168 yards, and while he did light up the Cowboys for 450 yards in Week 2, the veteran was benched for Dart by Week 4 with the team struggling.

And ultimately, after a few more appearances as the Giants' backup in 2025, those were Wilson's final snaps in the NFL. While he reportedly had options to be a backup for the 2026 season, including rumors connecting him to the Jets, Wilson opted to end his NFL career and begin a career in TV. 

MORE: Why Russell Wilson spurned Jets, other NFL QB options for CBS Sports TV analyst job

How many teams has Russell Wilson played for?

Wilson played for four teams in his NFL career. Of course, his 14-year career was primarily spent in Seattle, where he was an elite passer from 2012-21.

Over the following few years of his career, Wilson went from Broncos starter to Steelers bridge quarterback and Giants backup.

MORE:Why Odell Beckham Jr. is returning to Giants

Russell Wilson teams by year

Here's a full look at Wilson's career.

SeasonTeamRecordPassing YardsPassing TDsPlayoff Result2012Seahawks11-53,11826Lost to Bears in Divisional Round2013Seahawks13-33,35726Won Super Bowl over Broncos2014Seahawks12-43,47520Lost to Patriots in Super Bowl2015Seahawks10-64,02434Lost to Panthers in Divisional Round2016Seahawks10-5-14,21921Lost to Falcons in Divisional Round2017Seahawks9-73,98334Missed playoffs2018Seahawks10-63,44835Lost to Cowboys in Wild Card Round2019Seahawks11-54,11041Lost to Packers in Divisional Round2020Seahawks12-44,21230Lost to Rams in Wild Card Round2021Seahawks7-103,11325Missed playoffs2022Broncos5-123,52416Missed playoffs2023Broncos8-93,07026Missed playoffs2024Steelers10-72,48216Lost to Ravens in Wild Card Round2025Giants4-138313Missed playoffsCareer:——46,966 (16th all-time)353 (12th all-time)—

How old is Russell Wilson?

Wilson is 37 years old and will turn 38 on Nov. 29, 2026. 

In an era where many former star quarterbacks are willing to play into their 40s (Rodgers, Brady, Philip Rivers, Joe Flacco, etc) Wilson is one of few who is retiring before age 40. 

Rather than take a backup role in the NFL, Wilson is joining CBS Sports in a studio analyst role moving forward.

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