New York Giants fans have been able to witness not one, but two of their quarterbacks try their hand at a sports media career this season, but this may not be a short-term solution. Once their careers end, both Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston are expected to draw interest as on-air NFL analysts.
Now that Matt Ryan is leaving CBS to accept the Atlanta Falcons' president of football position that Arthur Blank created for him, his absence creates a hole for The NFL Today. And according to Front Office Sports writer Matthew Tabeek, both signal-callers could be on the short list to replace him.
Tabeek also reported that Pete Carroll, Philip Rivers, and Mike Tomlin (if he is fired) are also names that could take the former NFL MVP's seat on Sundays. But of all the options listed, Wilson makes by far the most sense as his own playing career could be coming to an end sooner than we expect.
If he retires, Russell Wilson would be the perfect replacement for Matt Ryan at CBS
It was evident in his three starts this season that the 37-year-old clearly lost a step, but he was also allegedly playing through an injury. He was signed to be the starter for most of the season, but not only did Jaxson Dart take over, Winston managed to lap him on the depth chart to be his backup.
Wilson says he wants to extend his NFL career beyond this season, but the future Hall-of-Famer almost certainly won't receive another starting opportunity. He would most likely be a solid backup, and for a player with his track record, I can't imagine that would be something that interests him.
At this point, the Super Bowl-winning quarterback would be better off retiring, so a full-time sports media career makes sense. When he appeared on The NFL Today during the Giants' bye week, he displayed both his personality and his football IQ for the whole nation to see and fans loved it.
He's a 10-time Pro Bowler, has thrown for nearly 50,000 yards, and has accomplished everything a QB can dream of, which is experience you just can't teach. I can't think of a perfect time for him to hang it up than to replace a player-turned-analyst who thinks he's capable of making the transition.
He looked like a natural as an analyst, so for all the flack he gets about being corny and unnatural isn't warranted when the guy just knows how to talk ball. It's become increasingly common for star players of Wilson's caliber to venture into sports media once they retire, and he would be a perfect fit.