Broncos Lose Bo Nix To Injury Before AFC Championship

The Denver Broncos are riding high after a dramatic 33-30 overtime victory against the Buffalo Bills in the AFC divisional round, but the elation in the Mile High City is tempered by devastating news: starting quarterback Bo Nix will miss the remainder of the postseason after fracturing his right ankle on the second-to-last play of Saturday's game. The injury, which occurred just before Nix threw a deep pass to Marvin Mims that drew a critical penalty and set up the game-winning field goal, leaves the Broncos without their leader as they prepare to host their first home AFC Championship Game in a decade.

Head coach Sean Payton broke the news at the outset of his postgame press conference, confirming, "On the second-to-last play in overtime, Bo fractured a bone in his right ankle. He’s scheduled to have surgery on Tuesday of this week, which will put him out for the rest of the season." Payton, visibly moved, added, "He’s such a strong faith-based guy. He was sitting in the hallway with his family and I went over and we were all talking to him and he knows God has a plan for him."

Nix’s injury is a cruel twist in what had been a coming-of-age postseason performance. The second-year quarterback completed 26-of-46 passes for 279 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception, while also rushing 12 times for 29 yards. Nix’s poise was especially evident in the fourth quarter, when he engineered an eight-play, 73-yard drive capped by a 26-yard touchdown pass to put Denver ahead 30-27 with under a minute remaining. His willingness to attack deep was rewarded with two crucial defensive pass interference penalties on the Bills—one for 17 yards and another for 30—that helped set up the Broncos inside the 10-yard line in overtime.

The Broncos' victory was their first playoff win at home in ten years, a measure of revenge for last season’s wild card loss to Buffalo. For Nix, it was a statement game in just his second career postseason start. A year ago, he struggled against the Bills, throwing for only 144 yards in a lopsided defeat. This time, he outdueled Buffalo’s Josh Allen, who had previously only lost postseason games to Patrick Mahomes or Joe Burrow in this decade. As Payton put it, "He was fantastic when we needed him."

Despite the win, the Broncos now face the daunting task of advancing without their starting quarterback. Jarrett Stidham, 29, a seventh-year veteran who’s been a backup in Denver since 2023, will step into the starting role for the AFC Championship Game on January 25. Stidham started the final two games of his first season with the Broncos after Russell Wilson was benched, leading the team to a 1-1 record. In those two starts, he completed 60.6% of his passes for 496 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. Though he appeared in only one game this season and took just four snaps without attempting a pass, Payton expressed confidence in his backup: "[Stidham] is ready. He's ready—I said this at the beginning of the season, I feel like I have two that can start for a number of teams and I know he feels the same way."

Sam Ehlinger, previously third on the depth chart, is expected to move up as the backup quarterback. The Broncos’ quarterback room, once anchored by Nix, will now have to rely on experience and resilience as they prepare for the next challenge. The winner of the AFC’s other divisional playoff game between the Houston Texans and New England Patriots, scheduled for Sunday, will travel to Denver for the conference title clash.

The game itself was a rollercoaster, defined by late-game dramatics and costly Buffalo mistakes. The Bills outgained the Broncos by 100 yards but were undone by five turnovers, four of which were credited to Allen. Every Buffalo drive ended in either a score or a turnover, and Allen’s miscues proved fatal. He finished the game 25-of-39 for 283 yards and three touchdowns, adding 66 rushing yards on 12 carries, but threw two interceptions and lost two fumbles. "It’s extremely difficult, I feel like I let my teammates down tonight," a tearful Allen said after the game. "Can’t win with five turnovers. I fumbled twice, threw two picks. When you shoot yourself in the foot like that you don’t deserve to win football games."

The Broncos’ defense seized their opportunities, including a pivotal overtime interception that set up the winning drive. Two pass interference penalties on the Bills, totaling 47 yards, including a 30-yarder drawn by Mims on Nix’s final deep throw, moved Denver into easy field goal range. The game-winning kick was set up by a kneel-down from Nix, who, despite being in obvious pain, did not miss a snap. Cameras caught him grimacing on the sideline before the final play, but he did not appear to limp significantly after the game. Still, the severity of his injury became clear only after the adrenaline faded.

Payton, reflecting on the team’s journey, said, "This team all year has lost key players and we'll rise up for the next challenge and we'll go from there." The Broncos, the AFC’s top seed, have indeed battled adversity all season, losing key contributors at various points but continuing to find ways to win. Their resilience will be tested once again as they attempt to reach the Super Bowl without their rising star at quarterback.

For Buffalo, the defeat adds to a legacy of postseason heartbreak. The franchise, infamous for its four straight Super Bowl losses in the 1990s, has now failed to reach the championship round for the seventh straight season under Allen. Four of their last five playoff losses have been decided by one score, with two coming in overtime—a testament to how close they’ve come, yet how far they remain.

As the Broncos turn their focus to the AFC Championship, all eyes will be on Stidham and whether he can keep Denver’s Super Bowl dream alive. The city is buzzing with anticipation, but there’s no denying the bittersweet nature of this playoff run. Bo Nix’s season is over, but the Broncos’ journey continues, with a new quarterback under center and a city full of hope—and nerves—awaiting the next chapter.