The Denver Broncos will enter their first AFC Championship game since 2015 without rookie sensation Bo Nix, who suffered a broken ankle during their thrilling win over the Bills. Head coach Sean Payton delivered the devastating news in his postgame press conference, confirming that Nix’s remarkable season has come to an abrupt end.
Nix led the Broncos to a heart-stopping 33-30 overtime victory against Buffalo in the AFC Divisional Round. Before the injury, he’d connected on 26 of 46 passes for 279 yards with 3 touchdowns and 1 interception. The broken ankle occurred with just 6:04 left in overtime as Nix rolled out for a designed run on first-and-10 from the Buffalo 36-yard line.
Despite the injury, Nix showed incredible toughness by staying in the game.
He managed to draw a crucial pass interference penalty on his next throw to Marvin Mims Jr., advancing Denver to the Bills’ 8-yard line. It was the following play that proved disastrous – Nix’s right ankle twisted awkwardly in a pile-up during a kneel-down.
Injury Analysis and Timing
Bo Nix –
I think the injury may have occurred on the plant just before he jumps. His right ankle is forced into eversion, lots of compression.
Maybe a fracture of the talus, navicular or cuboid, like a crush injury?Payton said ankle, not foot (thought Jones Fx at first).. pic.twitter.com/DpX7vCcZIb
— Jeff Mueller, PT, DPT (@jmthrivept) January 18, 2026
This is the play Bo Nix broke his ankle on.
Given the circumstances, this is probably the dumbest injury in the history of the NFL.
According to Sean Payton, this happened on “the second to last play of overtime”—this kneel down at the 5 yard line to set up the chip shot FG: https://t.co/hFpEOIfeuV pic.twitter.com/hy2Fu4zEnC
— Mark Valorian (@markvalorian) January 18, 2026
As Denver prepares to face the Patriots with backup Jarrett Stidham now thrust into the starting role, a Super Bowl MVP has offered some unexpected encouragement to worried Broncos fans.
Nick Foles – who famously led the Philadelphia Eagles to a Super Bowl victory as a backup quarterback – shared a message of hope while acknowledging the difficult situation. The former Super Bowl winner pointed to an interesting historical pattern that might give Denver supporters reason for optimism.
Note for the Broncos and their fans: I know it has been an emotional 24 hours. I feel for Bo and the team, and I’m sending prayers for a strong recovery.
A positive note going into the game versus the Patriots is that they struggle against backup QBs in championship-type games. — Nick Foles (@NickFoles) January 18, 2026
Foles knows something about upsetting the Patriots in high-stakes games. In Super Bowl LII, he stepped in for injured starter Carson Wentz and delivered a masterclass – completing 28 of 43 passes for 373 yards with 3 touchdowns and an interception. He even caught a touchdown on the now-legendary “Philly Special” trick play in Philadelphia’s 41-33 victory.
The Broncos will need Stidham to channel some of that backup quarterback magic as they prepare for their biggest game in nearly a decade – albeit without the rookie who helped get them there.