Just two years ago, the Denver Broncos were the laughing stock of the NFL.
Now, they’re one win away from securing the No.1 seed in the AFC and a real shot at Super Bowl glory.
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It’s a remarkable turnaround for the organisation guilty of the worst trade in NFL history – signing veteran quarterback Russell Wilson “for a King’s ransom” in 2022.
Wilson failed to live up to his Seattle hype in his first two years in Denver, and was unceremoniously dumped in a move that saw the Broncos eat $85 million in dead cap space across 2024 and 2025.
But throughout the embarrassing saga, new coach Sean Payton stood firm.
He knew what he wanted in a quarterback.
And when he got his man in Bo Nix in the 2024 Draft, the Broncos were on their way.
And the last time Denver held the No.1 AFC seed? They went on to win Super Bowl 50.
WHERE DID IT GO WRONG?
Some critics would argue Denver’s problems began when the great Peyton Manning retired in early 2016.
Exiting the game after his Super Bowl victory weeks earlier, the search was on for his replacement.
The Broncos would run through 12 different quarterbacks before the decision was made to recruit Super Bowl winner Russell Wilson from Seattle in March 2022.
The Broncos gave up a bounty for the then 33-year-old, including Drew Lock, Noah Fant, Shelby Harris, their 2022 first-round (No. 9), second-round (No. 40) and fifth-round picks, along with their 2023 first and second-round picks.
That decision will now go down as the worst trade in NFL history – given Wilson then immediately signed a five-year, $242.6m extension with Denver without him even training.
The QB would go on to struggle in his two seasons before being benched in December 2023 and then officially offloaded in early 2024 – to the tune of a whopping $85m in dead cap space.
“This is one of the most monumental organisational blunders in the history of football,” NBC’s Chris Simms said at the time.
“All the assets that were given to trade away to get Russell Wilson, the amount of money … for what? A few wins? This is insane.”
Alongside the dismal call to recruit Wilson came the signature of Nathaniel Hackett as head coach in January 2022 – just weeks before Wilson’s arrival.
After just four wins Hackett would fail to see out the “disaster” year, and become just the fifth head coach to do so since 1970.
“Everyone’s got a little stink on their hands – it’s not just Russell,” new coach hire Sean Payton would go on to say of that Hackett year.
“It might have been one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL – that’s how bad it was.
“It doesn’t happen often where an NFL team or organisation gets embarrassed and that happened here.”
While Payton would later apologise for those comments, there were plenty of NFL greats who agreed the coaching was “horrendous” in 2022.
“That’s a new coach that is ticked off that he has to deal with what he has to deal with,” Stephen A Smith said of Payton’s comments.
“The residue, the stench of what’s left behind.
“Sean Payton is saying to the world, y’all have no idea what I have to deal with since taking this job.”
Harry Douglas summed the 2022 season up best on ESPN: “It was a complete disaster in Denver”.
SO WHAT HAPPENED TO RUSSELL WILSON?
When Sean Payton was hired as head coach in January 2023, it was the beginning of the end for Russell Wilson in Denver.
NFL analyst Colin Cowherd was brutally honest assessing the Wilson-Payton partnership: “It was never going to work”.
“Sean is a no-BS, authentic, flawed, emotional being,” he said.
Critics will agree Payton was looking for his next Drew Brees – a nod to his previous successful reign at New Orleans.
Unfortunately for Wilson, that’s not his style and the pair never gelled.
“I don’t believe Sean ever liked Russ,” Shannon Sharpe said back in December 2023 after news broke that Wilson was asked to change his contract or be benched.
And that revelation was the final nail in Wilson’s Denver coffin.
“It’s been a process – (Payton) just said that I was going to become number 2 (quarterback),” Wilson said on December 29, 2023.
“They came up to me during the bye week and they told me if I didn’t change my contract, my injury guarantee, that I’d be benched for the rest of the year.
“I was definitely disappointed about it.”
With “no coming back” from that statement, Wilson was eventually released in March 2024 – at a time where he was the only player in NFL history with 40,000 pass yards and 5,000 rush yards to his name, and the only quarterback outside Tom Brady to record 115 wins since 2012.
“Russ was the man,” a shocked Rich Eisen said at the time of Wilson’s release.
“It’s one of the most shocking turns of a career.
“They gave up a King’s ransom to go get him.
“For all of that draft capital that Denver gave up, all they got was 11 wins (across the two years).”
Wilson eventually made his way to the New York Giants as a back up QB for this season.
THE FALLOUT
In early 2023, NFL analyst Nick Wright described the Russell Wilson-Denver Broncos fiasco as a “five-year mistake”.
“The two years you already wasted (with Wilson at quarterback) and the three getting out from under him. The problem is … once you’re three years out and through with it, you know who is supposed to be the best players on your team? Those first round picks you didn’t get to pick,” he shared.
“I don’t think this is short-term recoverable.”
Speaking on the NFL Offensive Line pod, Alex Boone and Jeremiah Sirles were shocked by the way the Wilson saga played out.
“They are going to eat $85m in cap just to get rid of Russell Wilson,” Boone said back in January 2024.
“(Payton) is mad because Russ can’t operate at a Drew Brees level … what the f**k do you think is going to happen?
“It’s two totally opposite things.
“They are toast for three years.”
“Did it work out in Denver (with Wilson)? No. Tough s**t,” Sirles added.
“It’s going to end up hurting this team.
“This team is going to be in cap hell for the next three years. Paying $85m for someone who is not even there!”
Largest single-season dead salary cap hits
2025 Russell Wilson – $49.6m
2022 Matt Ryan – $40.5m (traded from Atlanta)
2023 Aaron Rodgers – $40.3m (traded from Green Bay)
2024 Russell Wilson – $35.4m
2023 Tom Brady – $35.1m (retired)
THE DECISION TO DRAFT NIX
After Russell Wilson’s exit, Sean Payton shot straight: “We’ve got to get the next one right.”
And in a 2024 Draft that included the likes of Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, Michael Penix Jnr and JJ McCarthy, the Broncos zeroed in on Bo Nix.
“He stood out in a lot of areas,” Payton later said.
“He’s super smart.
“He is someone who can multi task.”
Payton liked the fact Nix was a stable bet – the mature son of a former college QB, engaged to his college sweetheart, and someone who impressed during private workouts.
“This is the night where everyone says we got our guy,” Payton said after the 2024 Draft.
And funnily enough, Nix drew Brees comparisons from the get-go.
“Bo Nix is Drew Brees with mobility. He completes 75% of his throws his last two years,” Colin Cowherd said in the lead up to that 2024 NFL Draft.
“Suddenly, a lot of your problems are solved.
“You have a high completion, scheme up guy.
“I know a lot of people look at this (Wilson ordeal) and think Sean Payton’s in big trouble. I think if you go and get Bo Nix … I think you’re fine immediately.”
Sitting on a $4.2m deal as a rookie, Nix’s salary is another tick towards Denver’s recovery.
FROM ZERO TO HERO
The Broncos are now heading into their second straight post-season since the Peyton Manning glory days, with Sean Payton and Bo Nix at the helm.
After a season where Nix threw 29 touchdown passes – the second most for a rookie in NFL history, the 25-year-old has simply carried on those efforts in his second year.
Remarkably, his 22-10 record as starting quarterback heading into the Christmas win over Kansas City is tied as the second most through two seasons in NFL history – behind only the man he replaced in Russell Wilson.
And Nix is just the third quarterback in NFL history to win 10+ games and make playoffs in each of his first two seasons – again joining Wilson and Andrew Lock as the only players to achieve that feat.
With Nix steering the ship, the tide has officially turned in Denver.
“All I know is right now this team has a bunch of dawgs, the kind of team you want to be a part of … I love these guys, I love where we are and I love where we can go,” left tackle Garrett Bolles said.
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