[1] Wilson played college football and baseball for the NC State Wolfpack from 2008 to 2010 before transferring to the Wisconsin Badgers in 2011, where he set the single-season FBS record for passer rating and led them to a Big Ten title and the 2012 Rose Bowl.

Wilson was benched near the end of the 2023 season and was released in the offseason, later signing a one-year deal with the Steelers where he earned his tenth Pro Bowl selection and a spot in the playoffs.

[51] In May 2010, Wilson graduated from NC State in three years with a BA in communication, and took graduate-level business courses in the fall semester during the 2010 football season.

[62] NC State head coach Tom O'Brien expressed reservations with Wilson's decision, saying "Russell and I have had very open conversations about his responsibilities respective to baseball and football.

[77] In the inaugural Big Ten Championship Game on December 3, Wilson threw for three touchdowns and led the Badgers to a 42–39 win over the Michigan State Spartans.

[97][98] Two days later on August 26, 2012, Wilson was named the starting quarterback for the first regular season game after competing with Matt Flynn and Tarvaris Jackson for the position.

[100] In the third regular season game on Monday night, the Seahawks won 14–12 over the Green Bay Packers on a controversial Hail Mary touchdown pass to Golden Tate.

[101] The contentious nature of the replacement officials' decision on the play was widely considered to have been the tipping point that led to an agreement being reached to end the referee lockout.

[108] Wilson finished the 2012 regular season ranked fourth in the NFL in passer rating (100.0), beating the previous rookie record set by Ben Roethlisberger in 2004 (98.1), since broken by Robert Griffin III in 2012 (102.4) and Dak Prescott in 2016 (104.9).

Wilson's scrambling mobility and ability to extend plays outside the pocket with his legs earned numerous comparisons to Hall of Fame quarterback Fran Tarkenton.

[128] Wilson threw for 206 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions for a 123.1 passer rating in a 43–8 win over the Denver Broncos to give the Seahawks their first Super Bowl victory in franchise history.

[134] On September 21, 2014, Wilson led the Seahawks on an 80-yard touchdown drive in overtime to defeat the Denver Broncos, 26–20, in a Week 3 rematch of the previous season's Super Bowl.

[153][154] His strong performance over the second half of the season, even after losing star running back Marshawn Lynch and tight end Jimmy Graham, led many analysts to consider Wilson an MVP candidate.

[181] On December 21, 2017, the Seahawks were fined $100,000 for failure to properly apply the concussion protocol on a hit Wilson sustained during the Week 10 win over the Arizona Cardinals.

[206] On April 16, 2019, Wilson signed a four-year, $140 million contract extension to remain with the Seahawks through the 2023 season, making him the highest paid player in the NFL.

[241] A few days later on February 6, Wilson was named the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year for his consistent and outstanding community service throughout the entirety of his career.

[245] During the Week 5 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, Wilson left the game after suffering a broken middle finger on his passing hand in the third quarter.

[276] In Week 14 against the Kansas City Chiefs, Wilson went 23 of 36 for 247 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception in a 34–28 loss, but left the game after sustaining a concussion during the fourth quarter.

[278] Wilson returned in Week 16 on Christmas Day against the Los Angeles Rams, where he threw for 214 yards, a touchdown, and three interceptions, and was sacked six times in the 51–14 loss, with his interception to former teammate Bobby Wagner gaining internet fame due to the commentary of voice actor Bill Fagerbakke on the game's Nickelodeon broadcast, in which Fagerbakke acted in-character as Patrick Star.

[309][310] Following losses to the Detroit Lions and New England Patriots in Weeks 15 and 16, the Broncos announced that Wilson would be benched for the final two games of the season to "preserve financial flexibility".

[321] Against the Cincinnati Bengals the following week, Wilson produced the third 400-yard passing performance of his career, finishing 414 yards and three touchdowns and rebounding from a pick-six in the first quarter to lead the Steelers to a 44–38 victory.

[326] In the Wild Card Round against the Baltimore Ravens, Wilson completed 20-of-29 passes for 270 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions, but the Steelers could not recover from a 21-point halftime deficit as they lost 28–14.

[355] That summer he played 32 games as a second baseman for the Tri-City Dust Devils, the Class A Short Season affiliate of the Rockies in the Northwest League.

[365] Since being named the starting quarterback of the Seahawks in August 2012, Wilson has appeared in advertisements for Levi's,[366][367] American Family Insurance,[368][369][370] Pepsi,[371] Nike,[365] Alaska Airlines,[372] Microsoft,[373] Duracell,[374] Braun,[375] Bose,[376] United Way,[377] and Larson Automotive Group.

[381] On November 14, 2016, Wilson announced he had joined Chris Hansen, Wally Walker, and Erik and Pete Nordstrom as partners in the investment group working to bring a new sports arena to Seattle's SoDo neighborhood for potential NBA and NHL teams.

[384] In June 2018, Wilson and his wife Ciara announced they were joining an effort to bring a Major League Baseball franchise to Portland, Oregon.

[386] In August 2019, Wilson and Ciara announced that they had joined the ownership group of Seattle Sounders FC, the local Major League Soccer club.

He has worked with the flag football organizations in China, Brazil, Canada, and the United Kingdom to help spread awareness of the sport and get athletes engaged in the game at a young age.

[421] The book was co-written with JaNay Brown-Wood, published by Random House, and released on March 1, 2022; it received a starred review from the School Library Journal[422] and was a New York Times bestseller.

[428] Wilson co-hosts an annual charity golf event along with NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne at Suncadia Resort in Cle Elum, Washington, to support various organizations, including Boys & Girls Clubs of America and the Seattle Children's Hospital.