DENVER — About an hour after the Denver Broncos left the field awash in the emotions of one of the franchise's most dramatic playoff victories, coach Sean Payton returned to an interview room to confirm what was already circulating later as a rumor.
Payton started with “not good news” and then said that quarterback Bo Nix had broken his right ankle three plays before Wil Lutz kicked a 23-yard field goal in overtime that gave the Broncos a 33-30 victory over the Buffalo Bills at Empower Field at Mile High on Saturday.
Payton said Nix will undergo surgery to repair the fracture on Tuesday in Birmingham, Alabama. It means Nix will miss the remainder of the Broncos' postseason run and Jarrett Stidham will be the starting quarterback.
“[Nix] “It's a tough nut to crack,” Payton said. “I told him, 'Listen, I think you're the second sophomore quarterback to lead your team to the top.' [conference] championship game and the first is [Patrick] Mahomes.' … We will rise to the next challenge.”
On first and 10 from the Buffalo 36-yard line with 6 minutes and 4 seconds left in overtime, Nix was tackled for a 2-yard loss on a designed run. He quickly jumped after the entrance to return to the meeting, but limped slightly.
He threw a deep incomplete pass intended for wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. on the next play when Buffalo cornerback Tre'Davious White was called for pass interference. The ball was moved to the Bills' 8-yard line after the penalty, and Nix took the next snap and knelt to stop the play.
As he took a knee, his right ankle twisted awkwardly and Nix grimaced while showing a pronounced limp as he walked back to the Broncos' bench. Nix underwent x-rays after the game, and many Broncos players had left the locker room by the time Payton announced Nix's injury, “so I'm essentially telling you now,” the coach said.
Nix finished Saturday's win 26 of 46 passing for 279 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. The victory was the sixth time this season that Nix led a winning drive in the fourth quarter or overtime.
Stidham, who was signed by the Broncos as a free agent in 2023, Payton's first season, has appeared in one game this season. Stidham played four plays, including a kneel down to end the game, in the Broncos' 44-24 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 8.
He appeared in three games in the 2024 season, Nix's rookie year, but did not attempt any passes. His last significant playing time came in 2023, when he started the final two games of the season after Payton benched Russell Wilson.
Stidham threw two touchdowns and one interception in those two games combined, including a 16-9 win over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 17. Sam Ehlinger, who spent most of the season on the Broncos' practice squad before signing to the roster last week, will be the backup.
“Stiddy is ready to go,” Payton said. “…He's ready, he's ready. I feel like I have two that are capable of being starters for multiple teams, and I know he feels the same way. Watch out, just watch.”
Payton said he spoke briefly with Nix outside the locker room after the Broncos' medical staff broke the news to the quarterback. He said Nix told him it was the third time he had suffered a broken ankle in his football career, including once in high school and once at Auburn.
“[He is] such a strong faith based guy, [he’s] sitting in the hallway with his family,” Payton said.
On what he thinks the team's reaction will be, Payton added: “They'll be disappointed, there'll be a lot of emotions, but then a refocus will happen. We celebrate the season for him. Listen, Stiddy's ready, we'll be ready for the next challenge… [Stidham] He has experience. He has played in games. They are different types of players to some extent, and yet they are very close friends. It's a narrow room. …Here we go.”
