Bo Nix Injured, Who Will Start for Broncos in AFC Championship Game?

Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix suffered a season-ending broken bone in his ankle during the team's 33-30 overtime win over the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round of the playoffs, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones reported Nix will undergo ankle surgery on Tuesday while backup Jarrett Stidham will start in the AFC Championship Game.

Nix played every offensive snap of Denver's victory over Buffalo on Saturday.

Broncos head coach Sean Payton revealed that he suffered the injury on the second-to-last play of overtime.

Nix finished 26-of-46 for 279 yards and three touchdowns compared to one interception. He also rushed for a team-high 29 yards.

His teammates reportedly weren't aware of the injury until just before Payton's announcement.

It's a tough end to the season for Nix, who completed 63.4 percent of his passes for 3,931 yards and 25 touchdowns compared to 11 interceptions while helping Denver finish with a 14-3 record. He led the Broncos on seven game-winning drives during the regular season.

Denver will now turn to Stidham, who has played just one snap this year and hasn't thrown a pass in a regular-season game since 2023 (h/t Pelissero).

The 29-year-old has completed 59.4 percent of his throws for 1,422 yards and eight touchdowns while getting picked off eight times in 20 career games. Stidham owns a record of 1-3 across four starts.

It's worth noting that he looked sharp for the Broncos in the 2025 preseason, throwing for 376 yards and four touchdowns without an interception in two appearances. Stidham also posted a 78.9 completion percentage.

The Broncos will now hope that he can carry the momentum into the AFC Championship Game and help them punch their ticket to the Super Bowl.