Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix has been ruled out for the remainder of the playoffs after sustaining a broken right ankle during the team's divisional-round victory over the Buffalo Bills on Saturday.
The devastating news, delivered by coach Sean Payton, overshadows the Broncos' most significant win in a decade, forcing backup Jarrett Stidham into the starting role for the AFC championship game.
Nix suffered the injury on a keeper play late in overtime, losing two yards after being tackled by safety Cole Bishop. Despite limping, the severity of the injury was not immediately apparent. Remarkably, Nix remained in the game, throwing a crucial deep pass that drew a 30-yard pass interference penalty, setting up Wil Lutz's game-winning 23-yard field goal, for which he then took a knee to centre the ball.
Coach Payton confirmed the injury after returning to the post-game press conference, stating Nix would undergo surgery on Tuesday in Birmingham, Alabama. He expressed confidence in Stidham, who holds a 1-3 record as a starter across six seasons, declaring: "Stiddy’s ready."
In a post-game interview with CBS, conducted before the severity of his injury was known, Nix expressed excitement for the next game. "It’s great to have home-field advantage in a situation like this. It’s exciting. This is why you play the game, this is why you compete. You get to playoff football, and good things happen," he said. The second-year quarterback, drafted 12th overall in 2024, had tied Russell Wilson's NFL record for wins in his first two seasons, leading the Broncos to the AFC's top seed and securing his first playoff win on Saturday.
Payton shared a poignant moment with Nix, who has a history of ankle injuries, even light-heartedly quipping: "I said if I had known that I wouldn’t have drafted you." He added: "He’s such a strong, faith-based guy... He knows that God’s got a plan for him." The coach praised Nix's resilience and the team's ability to overcome adversity, stating: "He’s a tough cookie... And this team all year has lost key players and will rise up for the next challenge."
No game more perfectly embodied the San Francisco 49ers’ yearlong injury woes than their finale Saturday night.
Late in the third quarter of a 41-6 drubbing against the NFC West rival Seattle Seahawks in the divisional round, star running back Christian McCaffrey wound up in the injury tent with a stinger while starting tight end Jake Tonges, who only entered the lineup because George Kittle tore his right Achilles last week, followed soon after.
As San Francisco limped to a finish, so, too, did its roster.
