The Denver Broncos are headed to the AFC Championship Game-but they’ll be doing it without the quarterback who helped get them there. Bo Nix, the rookie signal-caller who’s been at the center of Denver’s resurgence, is out for the rest of the season with a fractured right ankle. The injury, which head coach Sean Payton confirmed occurred on the second-to-last play of overtime in the win over Buffalo, will require surgery on Tuesday.
That means it’s Jarrett Stidham time in Denver. And not just for any game-for the AFC title.
According to NFL research, Stidham becomes the first quarterback since Roger Staubach in 1972 to make his first start of the season in a conference championship game or later. That’s rare territory.
Staubach’s Cowboys lost that game to Washington, 26-3. Denver, meanwhile, will host either New England or Houston next Sunday with a Super Bowl berth on the line.
Bo Nix’s Breakout-and Brutal Break
Before the injury, Nix was doing what he’s done all season: keeping the Broncos in games and making plays when it mattered. He completed 26 of 46 passes for 279 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception against the Bills. He also led the team in rushing with 29 yards on 12 carries-a testament to how much of the offensive load he’s been carrying.
His development this season has been one of the league’s better stories. After taking every snap for the Broncos across both the 2024 and 2025 seasons, Nix had become the face of Sean Payton’s offense. Tough, smart, and mobile enough to extend plays, he gave Denver a sense of stability at quarterback that’s been missing since the Peyton Manning era.
But now, with Nix sidelined, the Broncos will have to turn to a player who hasn’t thrown a pass in a regular-season game for them in two years.
The Jarrett Stidham Moment
Stidham, who started his college career at Baylor before transferring to Auburn, has bounced around the league, but he’s always been a player coaches believe in behind the scenes. While he hasn’t seen game action in the last two seasons, he’s been in the building, in the meetings, and in the system. That matters.
Sean Payton didn’t hesitate when asked about his readiness.
“[Stidham’s] ready to go,” Payton said postgame.
And he’ll have to be. The Broncos aren’t just playing for pride-they’re one win away from the Super Bowl.
The defense has been stout, the run game has found rhythm, and the coaching has been sharp. Now it’s on Stidham to step in and keep the momentum alive.
It’s not an easy task. But this is the kind of opportunity that can change a career-and a franchise’s postseason fate.