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How and when Bo Nix broke his ankle: Broncos coach explains as injury ends playoff hopes
According to Adam Schefter, Jarrett Stidham will start for Denver in next Sunday’s AFC Championship Game, with Sam Ehlinger serving as his backup.
Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix suffered a broken ankle in Saturday's game against the Buffalo Bills and will miss the rest of the playoffs, head coach Sean Payton confirmed.
"We felt it was best to tell everyone now," Payton said during a press conference.
The team also posted on X (formerly Twitter), "HC Sean Payton announced that QB Bo Nix fractured a bone in his ankle on the second-to-last play of the game and will miss the rest of the season. We got your back."
Season-ending surgery
Nix is scheduled to undergo season-ending surgery on Tuesday in Birmingham, Alabama.
“He's such a strong, faith-based guy,” Payton said. “He's sitting in the hallway with his family and coming over and we're all talking to him. He knows that God's got a plan for him and he said he had (a broken ankle) in high school and then he said he had one at Auburn.
“And I said I didn't realize that. I said if I had known that I wouldn't have drafted you,” Payton cracked.
According to NFL insider Adam Schefter, Jarrett Stidham will start for Denver in next Sunday’s AFC Championship Game, with Sam Ehlinger serving as his backup.
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How the injury happened
Sean Payton confirmed that Bo Nix was injured on the second-to-last play of overtime. Nix was tackled by safety Cole Bishop on a keeper that lost two yards. After the play, he was seen limping, though there was no immediate indication that the injury would be season-ending.
On the very next snap, Nix completed a deep pass to Marvin Mims Jr., which drew a 30-yard pass-interference penalty, moving the Broncos into field-goal range. He then took a knee to center the ball for Wil Lutz’s game-winning 23-yard field goal.
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Video of the moment, shared by injury analyst Tom Christ on X, shows Nix moving to his right and kneeling as defenders approached. Though he initially walked off seemingly without issue, a visible grimace revealed the severity of the injury.
Christ wrote, "The kneel down was the second to last play of OT, which is what is reported to be when he was injured. You can see him get hit after kneeling down, appears in pain as he’s walking off the field. Absolutely heart breaking for Nix and Denver."
(With inputs from AP)
