Breaking News: Bo Nix’s Season is Over in the 2026 Divisional Round

Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix suffered a broken bone in the ankle on the second-to-last play in Overtime in Denver’s 33-30 win over the Buffalo Bills. Broncos head coach Sean Payton reported to the media afterwards that he is going to have season-ending surgery on the ankle. 

This is a huge blow to the Broncos heading into the AFC Championship. Without the Sophomore quarterback, they will have to turn to Jared Stidham now for the remainder of their playoff run. The Broncos are going to have to rely on the defense even more so now than they did before the Nix injury. 

What Happened

Nix appeared to injure his ankle on the play on the kneel down to set up the game-winning field goal by Will Lutz in overtime. This was after Nix delivered a 279-yard, three-touchdown performance in a playoff rematch vs the Buffalo Bills. This moment is really significant because the Broncos are likely to have to rely on veteran backup Jared Stidham to guide them the rest of the way through these playoffs. 

This playoff run was going to be a moment for Bo Nix to potentially separate himself from the 2024 Draft Class if he was able to guide this Broncos team back to the Super Bowl for the first time since Peyton Manning retired with his last Lombardi Trophy. 

Reactions

Here are some reactions to the news from the Denver Broncos and head coach Sean Payton afterwards: 

HC Sean Payton announced that QB Bo Nix fractured a bone in his ankle on the second-to-last play of the game and will miss the rest of the season.

We got your back, 🔟. 🧡 pic.twitter.com/zOGVjxAV5r

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) January 18, 2026

"We felt like it'd be best to just tell everyone now."

Sean Payton announced Bo Nix fractured a bone in his right ankle and will miss the remainder of the season. pic.twitter.com/Tgwy3ZiPCB

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) January 18, 2026

What Happens Next

The Broncos will play in the AFC Championship Game in Denver next week with Stidham in there at quarterback against the winner of the Texans and Patriots matchup on Sunday afternoon.

This was going to be a tough matchup either way, even if Denver had Bo Nix under center, but now it’s even more of a huge mountain to come now, even more so with the backup that hasn’t taken that many snaps this season. It will be up to the Denver run game and the defense to continue to play strong if they want to win the Lombardi Trophy.

This story is still developing, and more updates are expected soon. We’ll continue tracking new details as they emerge.