Broncos QB Bo Nix reflects on 'devastating' injury, expresses confidence in Jarrett Stidham vs. Patriots
Nix still believes that the Broncos are destined for greatness this year
By
Bryan DeArdo
•
2 min read
If the Denver Broncos are going to play for a Super Bowl, it will be without quarterback Bo Nix, who recently underwent ankle surgery following his season-ending injury during the final moments of Denver's AFC divisional round win over the Buffalo Bills.
As his team prepares for Sunday's AFC Championship game against the New England Patriots, Nix summed up his emotions in a lengthy Instagram post. Nix called the injury "some of the most devastating football news" he's ever received. And while he is struggling with the notion of not being on the field with his teammates, Nix is confident the Broncos are still capable of winning with backup Jarrett Stidham leading the offense.
The last few days have been hard to put into words.
What started as one of the most exciting games I've ever been a part of ended with some of the most devastating football news I've ever received. This is not how I imagined my season would come to an end, but our season has been defined by overcoming adversity and responding to it.
I can't express how much this team and organization mean to me and how much I believe in them. I couldn't be more proud of our guys. I couldn't be more confident in Jarrett. And I couldn't be more excited for what's next.
Thank you all for the kind words, love and support over the last few days. Thankful for my trainers, Beau, Vince and Dr. Waldrop for taking great care of me.
God never says oops, and he is always good. He has big plans for this team. We're not finished, as a matter of fact we're just getting started. We're just going to keep climbing higher.
Go Broncos.
Nix's injury halted what would have been an intriguing showdown between two of the league's rising young quarterbacks with Patriots quarterback Drake Maye on the other sideline.
Members of the 2024 NFL Draft class, Maye and Nix have enjoyed fast starts to their careers. Nix helped the Broncos snap their 10-year drought without a playoff appearance as a rookie. This past Sunday, he led Denver to its first postseason victory since its win over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50.
While his team didn't have much success in 2024, Maye did earn Pro Bowl honors after completing an impressive 66.6% of his passes. This year, he led the NFL with a 72% completion percentage while leading the Patriots to their first 14-win season since 2016.
While Nix and Maye won't get the chance to match wits on Sunday, there is another point of intrigue in Stidham trying to join the surprisingly long list of backup quarterbacks who have led their teams to the big game. That list includes Jeff Hostetler, the former New York Giants quarterback who helped Bill Parcells win his fourth Super Bowl with Big Blue.
Broncos coach Sean Payton -- a Parcells disciple -- is hoping to emulate his former boss by becoming the latest coach to win it all with a backup quarterback.
