There were obviously a variety of reasons why the Denver Broncos were willing to release Russell Wilson and absorb an NFL-record $85 million dead money hit over the next two years. Ultimately, one of the biggest reasons why Wilson was ultimately released is also the reason why the Denver Broncos' offense struggled to find any sort of continuity over the last two years.
Sean Payton has noted on a couple of occasions this offseason how important it is for quarterbacks not to take unnecessary sacks. He was asked earlier in the offseason about the most important things they were looking for in their next quarterback, and not taking sacks unnecessarily was at the top of his list.
It's fitting, then, that he ended up with Bo Nix, who was barely sacked at all over the last two years at Oregon. Payton was gushing over that quality of his after Saturday's training camp practice:
"I think it’s a trait that when we watched , you see pretty good pocket sense. He doesn’t take a lot of sacks. I think he knows when the play is over, time to go. Then I think he can make plays when he’s going. I used to say this all the time, ‘The sack numbers are a reflection more on the quarterback than the offensive line.’ Brees was one of those guys. He was a tough sack. The ball came out , and I think Bo has traits like that."
Sean Payton (via Broncos PR)
After Payton said this, I think a lot of eyebrows in Broncos Country were raised because -- whether Payton meant it this way or not -- what he said was indirectly a huge shot at Russell Wilson.
Wilson was sacked a whopping 100 times in 30 games with the Denver Broncos. Everyone knew that Russ took plenty of sacks in his time with the Seattle Seahawks, but this was obviously a huge issue for Sean Payton.
To his credit, Payton isn't just blowing smoke. The Denver Broncos ranked 8th in the entire NFL in 2024 in pass block win rate according to ESPN. Pro Football Focus credited the Broncos' offensive line with allowing 16 sacks last year, and Wilson was sacked a whopping 45 times. When Payton says that sacks are a reflection more on the quarterback than the offensive line, he's speaking from direct experience last year.
Wilson has obviously done exceptionally well for himself over the course of his NFL career, but he's always been more of a playmaker and less of a quick-trigger pocket passer. The Broncos believe they've found a quarterback with a quick trigger in Bo Nix, who continues to have an exceptional training camp.