Bo Nix’s season came to a painful end, but according to Broncos head coach Sean Payton, the writing had been on the wall for a while - and it all traces back to his college days.
Nix suffered a broken bone in his right ankle during the final drive of Denver’s dramatic 33-30 overtime win over the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round. But this wasn’t just an unfortunate in-game twist. As Payton explained in his season-ending press conference, Nix had a preexisting ankle condition that made the injury less of a surprise and more of an inevitability.
“What was found was a condition that was predisposed,” Payton said. “It wasn’t a matter of if, it was a matter of when.”
That “when” finally arrived at the worst possible time for Denver - right as the team was pushing for a Super Bowl berth. Nix underwent surgery last week in Birmingham, Alabama, performed by Dr.
Norman E. Waldrop III, a top foot and ankle specialist at Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Center.
The center is well-known in college football circles, particularly in the SEC, and has a long-standing connection with Auburn and Alabama programs - a full-circle moment for Nix, who began his college career at Auburn.
The injury kept Nix sidelined for the AFC Championship Game, where he watched from a suite as backup Jarrett Stidham took the reins in a 10-7 loss to the New England Patriots. A crushing end to a promising postseason run, and a tough pill to swallow for a quarterback who had finally found his rhythm in Denver.
But this wasn’t Nix’s first battle with ankle trouble. In fact, his right ankle has been a recurring issue since 2021.
That’s when he originally injured it while playing for Auburn - again, on a final drive, this time against Mississippi State. That injury required surgery and ended his junior season prematurely.
After transferring to Oregon, he managed to revive his college career and eventually made his way to the NFL, but the ankle never quite left the conversation.
Sports medicine expert Dr. Jesse Morse highlighted this timeline earlier this month, pointing to the 2021 injury and the possibility that structural weaknesses remained - the kind that could eventually lead to a fracture like the one Nix just suffered.
Morse also noted that Nix had arthroscopic surgery on an ankle in January 2025, shortly after the 2024 season wrapped. Add it all up, and it paints the picture of a quarterback who’s been managing a chronic issue for years.
Despite the history, Payton remains optimistic about Nix’s future.
“He’ll rehab his tail off and get back to being healthy,” Payton said. “For someone who runs with the ball, he’s done a pretty good job of protecting himself.”
That last point is worth emphasizing. Nix isn’t a reckless scrambler - he’s mobile, sure, but he’s shown a knack for avoiding unnecessary hits. And while this injury is a setback, the Broncos clearly see it as a manageable one, not a career-defining blow.
For Nix, it’s another hurdle in a career that’s already seen its fair share. From a high-profile start at Auburn to a revitalization at Oregon, and now, a promising rookie campaign in Denver that ended just short of the Super Bowl, his journey has been anything but linear. But if his past is any indication, this is just another challenge he’s ready to overcome.