Bo Nix had heartbreaking moment on sideline, knew ankle was doomed

Denver Broncos QB Bo Nix knew before we all did.

Yes, that makes sense because it’s his body, but Nix had a bad feeling about his ankle on the sideline during the Buffalo Bills playoff game.

The Broncos won a thriller in overtime 33-30 to advance to the AFC Championship. Joy was experienced for about an hour before head coach Sean Payton announced Nix had fractured his ankle and would be done for the year.

There’s been plenty of speculation about how severe Nix expected the ankle injury to be, but new video and audio from NFL Films makes it clear he thought his season was finished.

The clip comes at the :26 mark below.

The year for the sophomore QB

Nix, Caleb and Maye led their teams to playoff glory in only year ✌️

Road to the Super Bowl – narrated by @TerryCrews – Noon ET on NBC pic.twitter.com/8qCGb8rEuL

— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) February 8, 2026

“You probably won’t have me next week. My ankle’s blowin’ up,” Nix said on the sideline.

That’s heartbreaking for Bo Nix. His team was just about to win a massive playoff game, knocking off Josh Allen and the Bills, and yet he wasn’t going to be able to suit up for a shot at the Super Bowl.

The Broncos lost to the Patriots 10-7 with backup Jarrett Stidham at quarterback and the season came to an unsatisfying conclusion. It was a great year, going 14-3 and earning the AFC’s No. 1 seed, but it’s fair to wonder if Denver tops New England with Nix.

Since then Payton has discussed Nix’s surgery, something the QB has clarified. He should be good to go for almost all of his offseason work and won’t miss any important team obligations in May and June before training camp in July.

Regardless, this moment for Bo Nix is tough. He had a bad feeling the ankle was broken, which turned out to be the brutal reality.

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