Bo Nix Speaks Out on Ankle Injury, Recovery Timeline, and Broncos’ Future: “I’ll Be Ready to Roll”
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. - Bo Nix has never been one to dwell on setbacks. But even for the Broncos’ poised young quarterback, the ending to Denver’s playoff run was a tough pill to swallow.
Speaking publicly for the first time since suffering a fractured ankle in the final moments of the Broncos’ dramatic overtime win against the Buffalo Bills, Nix offered a clear and confident update on his recovery - and his mindset heading into the offseason.
“It was just a simple bone break,” Nix said Wednesday. “I’ll be back training in four to six weeks. There’ll be absolutely no issues this offseason.”
The injury happened on a designed quarterback run late in Denver’s 33-30 divisional-round victory. As Nix rolled left, Buffalo safety Cole Bishop brought him down for a loss. Nix stayed in for one more play - a deep shot to Marvin Mims that drew a crucial pass interference penalty and set up Wil Lutz’s game-winning field goal - but the damage had already been done.
Initially, Nix didn’t think it was serious. He was riding the emotional high of a playoff win, celebrating a clutch finish that included Ja’Quan McMillian’s interception and the offense’s final push to seal the game. But the X-ray results changed everything.
“It was devastating,” Nix admitted. “You play that many games, have that good of a season, and then it just comes to an end abruptly like that. It stinks.”
There had been some confusion around the nature of the injury, with head coach Sean Payton initially suggesting the possibility of a pre-existing issue. Nix cleared that up quickly.
“Nothing was predisposed,” he said. “It was just a misstep.
My foot was up in the air, body weight came down on it, it twisted. All that force went into one place.
It could’ve been worse, but it was just one of those freak plays.”
The silver lining? The surgery - performed in Birmingham, Alabama - was straightforward, and the rehab schedule aligns perfectly with Nix’s planned offseason routine.
“It was a very quick procedure, a very easy operation,” he said. “We got it fixed up with a great surgeon.
I’ll be back training at the same time I was always going to start. I don’t miss any time.”
Broncos co-owner Greg Penner echoed that optimism, saying he has “zero concern” about the injury impacting Nix long-term.
“His surgery went very well,” Penner said. “Absolutely no issues or concerns going forward.
I thought he had a fantastic season as a second-year quarterback. He showed his mettle in the fourth quarter, bringing us back time and time again.”
That poise under pressure became a defining trait of Nix’s 2025 campaign. He led the Broncos to 15 wins, including eight game-winning drives - the most in the league - and tied the NFL record for most victories by a quarterback in his first two seasons with 24.
“He balled out all year,” said linebacker Alex Singleton.
General manager George Paton went a step further: “You evaluate a quarterback by how much he wins, and there’s been no quarterback who’s won more than Bo in his first two years. He has that ‘it’ factor. You can’t teach that.”
Still, for all the accolades and progress, Nix had to watch from the sidelines as backup Jarrett Stidham started in the AFC Championship Game - a narrow 10-7 loss to the New England Patriots.
“It was terrible,” Nix said. “I was very helpless.
You go down, and the show keeps going. That’s the toughest part.
You feel like you’ve got a little FOMO. You just miss being out there.”
That feeling - the sting of missing a chance to help his team chase a Super Bowl - is fueling Nix as he eyes a return.
“It reminds you not to take things for granted,” he said. “We’re on the road back to get to OTAs, get the season going, and move forward again.”
In the meantime, Nix has stayed connected with the team, showing up at the facility, checking in with teammates and staff, and continuing to be a presence in the building.
“I just like being around,” he said. “It’s hard to see it come to an end, but you’re still in the routine.
Saying hi, making your usual circles. It’s that bittersweet feeling at the end of the season.
Only one team gets to win it all. The rest of us, man, we’ve got to get ready for next year.”
For Bo Nix, that next year can’t come soon enough. And if his first two seasons are any indication, the Broncos’ quarterback won’t just be ready - he’ll be coming back with something to prove.