Bo Nix Pushes Back on Sean Payton’s Comments About Ankle Injury: “Might Have Been Some Confusion”
The Denver Broncos’ season may be over, but the conversation around Bo Nix’s health - and how it’s being discussed - is just heating up.
After a breakout rookie campaign that ended with a hard-fought overtime win against the Bills in the Divisional Round, Nix’s season came to a sudden halt due to an ankle injury. The timing couldn’t have been worse: the Broncos were heading into an AFC Championship showdown with the Patriots, and their young quarterback was sidelined.
Then came head coach Sean Payton’s postgame comments. Speaking to reporters, Payton suggested the injury was inevitable - that Nix was “predisposed” to suffer this kind of setback. According to Payton, the team’s medical staff and the operating surgeon believed the issue wasn’t a matter of if, but when.
“It wasn't a matter of ‘if,’ it was a matter of ‘when,’” Payton said. “Because when you look at the play and you're trying to evaluate it, he said, the doctor, operating surgeon, said that this was going to happen, sooner than later. Now you go about the rehab, proper orthotics, all those things.”
That raised more than a few eyebrows - including Nix’s.
The second-year quarterback responded the next day, and he didn’t sound like someone who agreed with his coach’s diagnosis. Speaking to reporters, Nix pushed back on the idea that this was a chronic issue.
“Nothing predisposed, nothing that was there,” Nix said. “Might have been some confusion there.”
That "confusion" may also extend to how Payton chose to handle the situation publicly. During the same postgame press conference, Payton tried to lighten the mood by joking that he wouldn’t have drafted Nix if he’d known about his ankle history at Auburn and in high school. It was an attempt at humor, but it didn’t land - especially not with Nix.
The quarterback didn’t appreciate the joke, nor the fact that Payton mentioned how many surgeries he’s had.
“He doesn’t really even know that, honestly,” Nix said.
It’s a tough moment for a young player who had just seen his season - and a shot at the AFC title - cut short. Nix had been steadily gaining momentum throughout the year, showing poise, accuracy, and the kind of leadership Denver has been searching for since the post-Manning years. To have it end like this, and then become the subject of a public back-and-forth with his head coach, only adds to the frustration.
There’s no question that emotions are still raw. A 10-7 loss to the Patriots in the AFC Championship - with rookie sensation Drake Maye on the other sideline - is a tough pill to swallow. And for Nix, who had to watch from the sidelines, it’s even more painful.
As the Broncos head into the offseason, there’s work to be done - not just on the field, but in the locker room and press room, too. Payton’s a veteran coach with a Super Bowl ring and a long track record of success, but managing relationships with young stars like Nix will be just as important as drawing up the right plays.
The ankle injury may heal in time. But the trust between quarterback and coach? That might take a little longer.