Bo Nix injury: Broncos QB faces 12-week recovery after ankle surgery

The Denver Broncos are without starting quarterback Bo Nix for today’s AFC Championship game against the New England Patriots, and they will spend the first half of the offseason without him healthy. The second-year quarterback is expected to be sidelined 12 weeks after undergoing a procedure last week on his broken right ankle, which he injured in the divisional round, according to ESPN, 

Nix will watch the conference championship game from a luxury suite and is instructed to refrain from putting weight on his injured ankle for at least four weeks. He will not return to football activities for three months, and while that layoff will cost him a significant portion of the offseason, the expectation is that he will be mostly recovered in time to join the Broncos for OTAs and training camp.

Doctors reportedly informed Nix that he should not have any long-term concerns about his ankle despite having suffered two previous breaks.

The latest ankle fracture occurred on the penultimate play of overtime in last week’s 33-30 win over the Buffalo Bills, Broncos coach Sean Payton said. Because he continued to play and showed no ill effects, it was unclear to the public until after the game that Nix sustained an injury at all.

“What started as one of the most exciting games I’ve ever been a part of ended with some of the most devastating football news I’ve ever received,” Nix said after he underwent surgery. “This is not how I imagined my season would come to an end, but our season has been defined by overcoming adversity and responding to it.”

With Nix ruled out for the year, backup Jarrett Stidham rises to the starting lineup and assumes his largest role since the 2023 season. Stidham has just four career starts under his belt and is a journeyman backup set to face the team who selected him at No. 133 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft. The former Patriot is on his third team after a stint with the Las Vegas Raiders and will suddenly be thrust into a high-leverage spot with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. He is 1-3 as a starter and has yet to appear in a postseason game.

Nix publicly backed Stidham ahead of the AFC Championship game and said he “couldn’t be more confident in Jarrett.”