The Denver Broncos are headed to the AFC Championship Game.
But their quarterback will not be joining them.
Shortly after Bo Nix led the Broncos to an overtime win over the Buffalo Bills, Broncos head coach Sean Payton announced during his post-game press conference that the quarterback fractured a bone in his right ankle on the second-to-last play in overtime, and will be lost for the AFC Championship Game.
Here is video of Payton making the announcement:
As you can hear from Payton, Jarrett Stidham is in line to get the start. “Stiddy’s ready to go,” said Payton.
The injury is a bitter pill for Nix to swallow, who delivered a go-ahead drive in the closing minutes that had the Broncos on the cusp of the AFC Championship Game. On Denver’s final drive in regulation Nix went 6-of-7, including throws like this dig route to Courtland Sutton:
The “second-to-last” play of regulation might have been the snap from Denver to center the football for the game-winning field goal. You can see that play here:
However, Dianna Russini shared this clip from a play earlier in the drive, where Nix scrambled to the left, as the play where the Broncos believe he suffered the injury:
Here is video of Nix leaving the field, and you can see him walking rather gingerly:
The Broncos will host the winner of Sunday’s game between the Houston Texans and the New England Patriots.
New England drafted Stidham in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
