Risky Russell Wilson move has paid off for Denver Broncos as Bo Nix launches Rookie of the Year bid

The Denver Broncos parted ways with Russell Wilson aft the 2023 season, incurring $85 cardinal successful dormant headdress to determination connected from the seasoned QB

The Denver Broncos and caput manager Sean Payton came nether occurrence for their determination to merchandise Russell Wilson aft the NFL's 2023 season, absorbing a whopping $85 cardinal successful dormant headdress abstraction to sever ties with the seasoned backmost –with $39 cardinal inactive guaranteed connected Wilson's declaration astatine the clip of his exit.

But with rookie Bo Nix astatine the helm, the squad is present conscionable 1 measurement distant from matching their champion play during Wilson's stint successful Denver.

Less than a twelvemonth aft the nine-time Pro Bowler's departure, the Broncos are connected the brink of their archetypal NFL playoff quality since 2015 – mostly owed to Nix, who is simply a beardown contender for Rookie of the Year. Marking the dawn of a caller era, the organisation picked the Oregon passer arsenic the No. 12 prime successful the 2023 NFL Draft.

Denver is presently cervix and cervix with the Chargers for 7 wins successful the AFC West this season, trailing down the starring Kansas City Chiefs [10-1], bolstering their chances of reaching the playoffs for the archetypal clip successful astir 10 years. Through 12 weeks this season, Denver has matched its second-highest triumph full since the 2015 season, erstwhile they clinched the Super Bowl with Payton Manning astatine the helm.

The authoritative NFL website's Rookie of the Year database places Nix down Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels for the award. However, ESPN's shot analysts present fertile Nix supra Daniels arsenic the Commanders retrieve from 1 of the astir thrilling games successful NFC East history, which ended successful defeat.

After a shaky commencement to the twelvemonth with 2 consecutive losses and 4 interceptions without scoring a touchdown, backmost Nix has dramatically improved, racking up six TDs and nary interceptions successful his caller victories implicit the Las Vegas Raiders and Atlanta Falcons. Despite trailing down rookie Daniels, who leads with 2,613 passing yards, Nix boasts a person 2,548 yards, an other interception, but besides much passing touchdowns – totalling astatine 16 against Daniels' 12.

Broncos manager Payton's religion successful Nix has ne'er wavered; pursuing a resounding 26-7 triumph implicit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers successful Week 3, helium lauded Nix and dispelled immoderate conception of a astonishment assurance boost: "No. No, no, no, no, no, stop. Stop. It's fitting your narrative. It's not. The kid's [Nix] been confident," Payton insisted to journalists.

He expressed precocious respect for Nix’s resilience, having dealt with changes and challenges: "The kid's been done Auburn, he's transferred, he's won and won and won and won. Honestly, I haven't seen him flinch. We each get a small much assured with a win, but I accidental that respectfully," Payton added.

The Broncos caput manager closed his remarks connected a affirmative note, emphasizing that contempt aboriginal difficulties, "He hasn't flinched and I deliberation that we had a bully plan. Players did a bully job, and surely helium had much amusive than helium did successful anterior weeks." The Broncos' two-year tally with Wilson was deemed a catastrophe adjacent earlier Nix arrived. The 2022 run saw the squad conflict with the lowest-scoring discourtesy successful the league, and determination was small betterment the pursuing year.

Despite securing 3 much victories than the erstwhile season, Denver inactive ended up with a losing grounds and failed to marque the playoffs. Wilson was replaced by Jarrett Stidham towards the extremity of the season, which led to him signing a seasoned minimum $1.2 cardinal woody with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Although helium managed to unafraid the starting presumption implicit Justin Fields, the team's discourtesy has since been utilizing Fields successful situational snaps to instrumentality vantage of his speed.