Russell Wilson's Regression Illustrated by New Historical Stat

It's been an ugly, exasperating season for the Denver Broncos. The depths of this season's failure are only truly plumbed when juxtaposed with the wild offseason excitement of the Russell Wilson trade.

The Broncos not only gave up multiple first and second-round draft picks to acquire Wilson from Seattle, but then paid the nine-time Pro Bowler on a five-year extension worth $245 million — before he ever took a snap.

What followed has easily been the most shocking regression and failure to meet expectations, arguably, in NFL history. We already know that the Broncos' 13.8-points-per-game offense is the worst in franchise history, but Wilson himself has set a new low among the all-time league annals.

CBS Sports' research writer Doug Clawson illustrated just how far Wilson has fallen since donning the Orange and Blue.

"Russell Wilson’s passer rating has declined 19.6 points from last season (103.1 > 83.5) It's the largest decline by any player in his 1st season with a team since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger Min. 300 attempts each year," Clawson tweeted.

Russell Wilson’s passer rating has declined 19.6 points from last season (103.1 > 83.5)

It's the largest decline by any player in his 1st season with a team since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger

Min. 300 attempts each year
— Doug Clawson (@doug_clawson) December 10, 2022

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Welp.

Wilson is also on pace to post career lows in passing yardage and touchdowns. Sitting with 2,558 yards and just eight touchdowns, with five interceptions, the proof is in the proverbial pudding.

What conclusions can be drawn from this?

Either Father Time has caught up to Wilson in a hurry, and he's washed, or, he was given the worst possible coaching staff to work with.

As a 34-year-old quarterback, there's no doubt that Father Time has eaten away at the edges of Wilson's game. But to the point where he's officially washed? I have a hard time believing that when I see evidences stacked one on top of the other of the incompetency of Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett.

If everything else on the Broncos squad was humming efficiently and Wilson's lackluster play was the outlier, I'd be more inclined to lean heavier on the 'he's washed' side of things. Kinda like the 2015 Broncos. It was ultimately a championship roster, but it was limited by Peyton Manning's increasing loss of his physical attributes.

But outside of hiring Ejiro Evero to coordinate the defense, literally nothing Hackett has touched has turned to gold. Hackett is the antithesis of the Midas touch. Everything he touches turns to ashes.

From shockingly ignorant in-game decision snafus and clock-management faux pas, to installing an impotent and predictable offense, to handing over play-calling duties mid-season to a coach who owns a fair share of the blame for Wilson's regression, to fielding the most penalized team in the NFL, Hackett's 2022 resume is appalling.

What it Means

The Broncos will cut bait with Hackett. From there, considering the team's commitment to Wilson, the Walton/Penner group has to find the right head coach to ensure that the QB's quarter-billion-dollar contract doesn't become an albatross around the Broncos' neck that torpedoes the team's outlook for the next 2-to-3 years.

Former New Orleans head coach Sean Payton made it clear earlier this week that he wants to get back into coaching. That would be a good place for the Walton/Penner group to start its first-ever head-coaching search.

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