"To Seattle, You Raised Me": Russell Wilson's Farewell Message To The 12s Hits Deep

Whoa, hold up, 12s. Take a seat. Because a true Seahawks legend, a guy who shaped a decade of our lives here in the Emerald City, just called it a career. Russell Wilson, at 37 years old, officially announced his retirement on Wednesday. He dropped the news in a three-minute, 16-second social media video, hitting us right in the feels with the title, "Thank You, Football, Love, #3."

Yeah, we know his last few seasons weren't in Seattle, but let's be real, his heart has always been here. Wilson played 10 of his 14 NFL seasons with our Seahawks, from 2012 to 2021. And what a run it was, right? He led us to that incredible Super Bowl title in the 2013 season. And remember that next year? We were right back in the big game. The man threw 292 of his 353 career touchdown passes wearing that Seahawks uniform. He started every single one of his 158 games here, even as a third-round draft pick in 2012 under then-coach Pete Carroll.

The Legacy, The Shout-Out, The Memories

And Wilson didn't forget where he came from. In his farewell, he gave a heartfelt shout-out to Coach Carroll, saying, "thanks for taking a chance on a young, 5-11 Black kid from Richmond, Virginia, that was told he was too small to ever make it in the NFL. We knew what winning was like. And to every teammate I've had the privilege of sharing the locker room with, thank you for the sacrifices, the brotherhood, the memories. None of this is possible without you." But get this, of all the teams he played for, Seattle was the ONLY city he singled out. "To Seattle, you raised me," he said. "Not just all the wins and crazy-loud games, but also the forever memories after we won the Super Bowl. ... But even more important, the kids at Seattle Children's Hospital, you gave me hope and belief in a better tomorrow. And hopefully I did the same for you." Man, that hit different.

You can't talk about Wilson without talking about the numbers. The guy was a 10-time Pro Bowl selection and the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year in 2020. He leaves the game as the only player in NFL history to ever top both 40,000 passing yards and 5,000 rushing yards. We're talking 46,966 passing yards and 114 interceptions in 205 games, along with 5,568 rushing yards and 31 touchdowns. After the 2021 season, he was traded to Denver, where the Broncos went 11-19 in his starts over two seasons. He then played for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024 and started three games for the New York Giants last season before rookie Jaxson Dart took over the starting job.

Next Chapter: From Quarterback to Commentator

So what's next for DangeRuss? He's not going far from the game. Wilson announced he'll be joining CBS this season. He's reportedly set to replace Matt Ryan on The NFL Today pregame show. He put it perfectly himself, "As I enter this next chapter with CBS Sports and The NFL Today, I'm so blessed to continue doing what I love most, being around the greatest game in the world." For us, it means the end of an incredible era on the field. But hey, we'll still get to see him, just from a different angle. It's wild to think about, but what a journey it was. Go Hawks!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.