Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix. Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Early stages of Bo Nix's career unexpectedly mirroring Russell Wilson's

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Dec 18, 2025 4:57 PM ET

Strangely, Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix's trajectory is already resembling that of the passer he replaced.

After a 34-26 victory over the Green Bay Packers in Week 15, Nix needs three wins to break New York Giants 14th-year QB Russell Wilson's record (24) for the most by a QB in his first two seasons (via StatMuse). Note: Denver took Nix with pick No. 12 in the 2024 NFL Draft after releasing Wilson.

With three regular-season games remaining, that mark is within reach for the 25-year-old QB. Earning three more wins would help Nix keep building momentum before the playoffs, putting him in a position to lead his team to a Super Bowl in his second season, just like his predecessor did with the Seattle Seahawks in 2013.

How Bo Nix's career is similar to the early stages of Russell Wilson's career

The Broncos sit atop the league with a 12-2 record. As of Thursday, ESPN's Football Power Index gives Denver an 11.4% chance to win the Super Bowl, the second-best odds in the NFL behind the Los Angeles Rams (11-3).

Bo Nix ties Ben Roethlisberger, Andrew Luck and Dak Prescott for 2nd most QB wins in his first 2 seasons (22) @Broncos | #BroncosCountry pic.twitter.com/4vI8QqvUkP
— NFL+ (@NFLPlus) December 15, 2025

In 2013, the Seahawks finished 13-3, tying the Broncos for the best record in the league. Of course, the clubs met in Super Bowl XLVIII, where Seattle won 43-8. Wow, that's a surprising amount of coincidences.

Like Wilson in 2013, Nix has been buoyed by an elite defense. Seattle featured a ball-hawking secondary, nicknamed "The Legion of Boom," which powered a unit that allowed the fewest points (14.4) in the league. This season, Denver is tied for third in the league in points surrendered (18.6).

Let's not discredit Nix, who is tied for fifth in the league in touchdown passes (23) and ranks ninth in passing yards (3,256). Those numbers are solid enough to pilot a team to a championship.

Take Wilson's stats in 2013. In 16 regular-season starts that year, he threw for 26 TD passes and 3,357 yards passing. Now that the NFL has expanded to 17 regular-season games, Nix's totals could surpass Wilson's.

The Broncos host the Jacksonville Jaguars (10-4) on Sunday at 4:05 p.m. ET on Fox. As of Thursday, DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Broncos as a three-point favorite. With another win, Nix will inch closer to Wilson's record.

Denver fans, however, care more about Nix and Co. winning the Super Bowl. It would help them forget that the team sent two first-rounders and more for Wilson in March 2022, a trade that turned out to be among the worst in NFL history.

There's plenty of reasons to believe that may happen. Nix is off to a fantastic start like Wilson. The young QB wouldn't mind having a career similar to that of the 10-time Pro Bowler. Well, minus the part where he's the centerpiece of a horrendous trade.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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