Comparing Russell Wilson vs Bo Nix stats in Sean Payton’s offense

On By Littum

The Denver Broncos took on the largest dead money salary cap hit in NFL history this spring when they released veteran quarterback Russell Wilson.

Broncos coach Sean Payton opted to eat $53 million in cap space this offseason to move on from Wilson. Payton then used the team’s first-round draft pick to select quarterback Bo Nix.

The switch seems to have been successful for all parties. Wilson landed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who are heading to the playoffs with a 10-5 record. Denver has secured its first winning season since 2016, and Nix and Co. is just one win away from clinching a spot in the playoffs.

So did the Broncos make the right decision?

Given the team’s long-term outlook with a 24-year-old Nix on a team-friendly rookie contract, it seems fair to say that Denver is in a better place than the team would be with a 36-year-old Wilson. But how do their numbers compare?

Wilson started 15 games before being benched by Payton last fall. Now that Nix has started 15 games under Payton, here’s a look at how their numbers compare.

Russell Wilson (2023) vs. Bo Nix (2024)

Player Completion rate Pass Yards Rush Yards Pass TDs Total TDs INTs Fumbles Sacks
Russell Wilson 66.4% 3,070 341 26 29 8 10 45
Bo Nix 64.3% 3,235 352 22 27 11 2 22

Win-loss records are a team statistic, but it’s also worth noting that Wilson went 7-8 as a starter last fall (Nix is ​​9-6 this season).

Of course, Wilson was a 12-year veteran last season, so weighing his numbers against a rookie isn’t exactly a fair comparison.

Wilson played in a different offense with a different team in his rookie season with the Seattle Seahawks, so it’s not a perfect comparison either, but just to get an idea of ​​how his rookie numbers stack up against Nix, we also listed them below.

Wilson played 16 games as a rookie in 2012. We removed his stats from his 16th game below to list his totals from his first 15 games as a rookie.

Russell Wilson (2012) vs. Bo Nix (2024)

Player Completion rate Pass Yards Rush Yards Pass TDs Total TDs INTs Fumbles Sacks
Russell Wilson 63.3% 2,868 431 25 28 10 5 27
Bo Nix 64.3% 3,235 352 22 27 11 2 22

Seattle went 11-5 in Wilson’s rookie season. Denver is 9-6 this year.