Phil Simms has some advice for Russell Wilson at CBS

Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn ImagesRussell Wilson spent 14 seasons in the NFL mastering the art of saying almost nothing at all. Now he’ll have to make a living by saying exactly what he thinks.

>Wilson officially retired last week to join CBS’s The NFL Today, turning down a contract offer from the New York Jets to make his second career in television official. He’ll take his place alongside James Brown, Nate Burleson, and Bill Cowher on a set that has been one of the better NFL pregame shows on television for years.

>Before he gets there, though, Phil Simms has a couple pieces of advice.

>“Don’t be afraid. You just gotta say it, man,” Simms said when asked by Kay Adams on a recent episode of Up & Adams if he had any advice for the incoming NFL on CBS analyst.

From one QB-turned-analyst to another…

>Phil Simms has some wise words for Russell Wilson:@PhilSimmsQB | @DangeRussWilson | @heykayadamspic.twitter.com/RgzXq0ijId

>— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) June 4, 2026

Wilson is a 10-time Pro Bowl player and won a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks. However, his career has been in a slow decline since his blockbuster trade to the Denver Broncos before the 2022 season. Wilson was just 11-19 over two disastrous seasons in the Mile High City before the Broncos took a disastrous cap hit to be freed from his $242 million contract. Since then, he has had stops in Pittsburgh and with the New York Giants, where he served as a backup to Jaxson Dart and even Jameis Winston in 2025.

>Wilson certainly has the polish to be a great analyst and presence on television. However, one of the criticisms that’s dogged him throughout his NFL career is that he has maybe a little too much polish and isn’t genuine. Now that Wilson has indeed decided to hang it up and enter the media world, his challenge will be proving his authenticity, not just his ability to communicate Xs and Os

>“Your job, my job is to tell the truth, and it’s really, really important,” Simms continued. “Because the fans only know what they read and what they hear. And so you have to do it for the player, the organization, their family, everything.”

>There was also a more nuts-and-bolts lesson from Simms, that television doesn’t give analysts unlimited time to unpack every thought, no matter how much they know.

>When Tony Romo’s arrival in 2017 pushed him out of the game booth after nearly two decades as CBS’s No. 1 analyst alongside Jim Nantz, Simms had to learn how to condense everything he knew about a full Sunday slate into a handful of studio-friendly takes. He joked at the time that he woke up “in cold sweats on Friday” because he could talk for 10 minutes about every single game and had to whittle it all down to a couple of thoughts.

>“It’s really quick, Russell, I will tell you that,” Simms added. “They say, it’s your turn to talk, they’re gonna say, 20 seconds, and by the time you introduce yourself, it’s tough.”

>What’ll be toughest for Wilson, though, isn’t boiling an opinion down to 20 seconds. He’ll need to convince viewers that it’s his real opinion in the first place. And as Simms made clear, honesty is the job.

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