Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix will miss the rest of the NFL playoffs after suffering a fractured ankle in Saturday’s division win over the Buffalo Bills.
The Broncos beat the Bills 33-30 in overtime to reach the AFC Championship Game, where they must face either the New England Patriots or the Houston Texans without a second quarterback.
Coach Sean Payton told reporters after the game that the Knicks suffered the injury in the penultimate game in overtime, and backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham will start next weekend.
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Denver is headed to the AFC Championship Game after Will Lutz’s 24-yard field goal secured a dramatic 33-30 overtime victory over Buffalo.
“Shy is ready to go,” Peyton said. “I said this at the beginning of the season: I feel like I have a two (backup) capable of starting a lot of teams. I know he feels the same way.”
“Well, be careful. Just watch.”
Nix finished the game 26 of 46 passing for 279 yards and three touchdowns to one interception, eliminating Josh Allen in another painful playoff conclusion for his Buffalo Bills.
Peyton explained that Nix’s injury to the quarterback saw him lose two yards when he was thrown by Cole Bishop.
Nix continued the game by taking a deep shot to Marvin Mims Jr., drawing a 30-yard pass interference penalty against Tre’Davious White that would set up Will Lutz’s game-winning field goal.
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“He’s a tough cookie,” Peyton added. “I said, ‘Listen, I believe, you’re the second quarterback in two years to lead your team to the championship game, the first being (Patrick) Mahomes.’
“This team has lost key players all year and we will rise to the next challenge and go from there.”
Nix was the 12th overall pick out of Oregon in the 2024 NFL Draft, leading the Broncos to their first playoff berth in a decade during his rookie campaign.
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His blossoming relationship with Peyton continued in 2025 when Denver snapped Kansas City’s nine-game AFC West division title streak while earning the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
Stidham is a seven-year veteran who hasn’t tried in the NFL since the 2023 season when he started the final two games of the season in place of Russell Wilson in Denver.
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