Broncos quarterback Bo Nix injured, ruled out for AFC title game

Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix will miss the rest of the NFL playoffs with an ankle injury suffered during a 33-30 win over the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round Saturday. 

Broncos head coach Sean Payton told reporters the news after the game.

“Not good news, on the second-to-last play in overtime, Bo fractured a bone in his right ankle. He’s schedule to have surgery Tuesday of this week, which will put him out the rest of the season,” Payton said. 

If the second-to-last play of the game is truly what Payton was referencing, then it would be the play in which the Broncos simply took a knee prior to kicking the game-winning field goal. The play right before that, Nix threw an incompletion that resulted in a 30-yard pass interference call on Buffalo, which set up the Broncos in field-goal range.

The play before that, Nix ran a keeper where he lost two yards and was tackled by safety Cole Bishop. Nix was seen limping slightly after the play.

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Nix was 26-of-46 for 279 yards and three touchdowns while also rushing for 29 yards on 12 carries in the win.

“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.”

Nix, the 12th overall pick out of Oregon in the 2024 NFL draft, tied Russell Wilson’s NFL record with two dozen victories in his first two seasons. Saturday’s victory was his first in the playoffs. The Broncos lost last year at Buffalo but Nix led Denver to the AFC’s top seed this season.

“He’s a tough cookie,” Payton said. “And this team all year has lost key players and will rise up for the next challenge.”

Payton said Broncos backup Jarrett Stidham will start at quarterback for Denver in the AFC Championship game next week at Mile High Stadium against the winner of Sunday’s Patriots-Texans divisional matchup.

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“[Stidham] is ready,” Payton said. “We’ll be ready for the next challenge.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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