Russell Wilson working as TV analyst is next natural step in Hall of Fame career

At his peak, Russell Wilson , the football player, was unbelievable.

Wilson was a magician who launched trademark moon balls downfield . They would drop perfectly into his receiver's breadbasket and make no mistake: It was awesome every time. Wilson managed these throws while evading helpless, would-be tacklers in the backfield. If you told me he had eyes in the back of his head, I would've believed you. You genuinely could've told me anything about the future Hall of Famer's on-field prowess in those days, and I still would've believed you.

It's been a long time since we've seen that version of Russell Wilson. After almost half a decade of embarrassing flops on the Colorado Front Range and kind-of-sort-of-OK stints in Pittsburgh and New York, Wilson has finally decided to cut bait on his playing career.

He's jumping to TV, joining CBS's NFL panel alongside James Brown, Nate Burleson , and Bill Cowher this fall.

And honestly? I love the move! I think the man with the (self-appointed) "Mr. Unlimited" nickname is about to show us some real chops on the medium-sized screen. It'll be a far cry from hawking mediocre deli sandwiches , too.

Has Wilson somewhat sullied his football reputation in recent years? Perhaps, but I think that's a little reductive and reactive. Newsflash: You can still have been a great football player in your prime, which Wilson was, while being a tad corny and maybe even unlikable (to some). You can still have that rap sheet and understand that television on NFL Sunday is an entirely different medium, where your expertise as one of the best quarterbacks ever will have a real chance to shine for millions of viewers at home.

If Wilson's worst "crime" was coming off as a self-important egotist, well, he's doing pretty OK compared to many of his peers in the professional sports world. All this to say, I look forward to seeing Wilson in a nice suit and tie every weekend. He should be awesome at breaking down quarterback play and offensive structure. He's also probably not going to let his full personality shine through (which, yes, is a good thing). He's going to keep it basic, to football, and I expect him to shine.

Wilson hasn't yet officially retired from the NFL. But that seems like a formality more than anything. Once we see him excel as an analyst, it's only a matter of time before one of the best signal-callers of his generation will finally hang his shoulder pads up. And maybe, just maybe, "DangeRuss" will unlock a new peak of sorts as a broadcaster.