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The Denver Broncos are heading to the AFC Championship Game, but the celebration was abruptly overshadowed by devastating news that left the entire Broncos country stunned.
Shortly after Denver’s dramatic overtime victory over the Buffalo Bills, head coach Sean Payton confirmed that quarterback Bo Nix “fractured a bone in his right ankle on the second-to-last play” of overtime. The injury will sideline Nix for the remainder of the postseason, abruptly ending what had been a breakout playoff run.
The shocking nature of the injury immediately triggered an emotional wave across social media, particularly under ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter’s post announcing the news.
“With Bo Nix out for the season, Denver’s starting QB for next Sunday’s AFC Championship Game will be Jarrett Stidham. His backup now will be Sam Ehlinger.” Schefter posted on X, formerly Twitter.
One fan summed up the disbelief bluntly, “Ain’t no way”, while another reacted with frustration over how it occurred, writing, “Dude broke his ankle taking a knee to set up a fg from the 5 yard line. Arguably the stupidest injury in the history of the NFL.”
As fans tried to process the timing and circumstances, the emotional toll became clear. “Can’t have anything nice,” one fan wrote, and another added, “What a loss for the Broncos,” which reflected the collective heartbreak, especially given how well Nix had played just moments earlier.
Confusion also fueled the outrage. One fan questioned the sequence entirely, “There’s got to be a clip of this happening somewhere because he looked fine at the end of the game when everyone was shaking heads after. Like what happened?” The disbelief stemmed from the fact that Nix finished the game appearing healthy, only for the injury to be revealed later.
Others turned to empathy and support, posting messages for speedy recovery, “Absolutely heartbreaking. Prayers up for Bo Nix. Heal up quickly.” Another reaction captured the emotional numbness many felt, “I’m speechless”.
Nix’s performance made the blow even harder to accept. He completed 26 of 46 passes for 279 yards, threw three touchdowns, and led the decisive late drive that put Denver in position to advance. Yet he will now watch from the sidelines as Jarrett Stidham starts the AFC Championship Game, with Sam Ehlinger backing him up, per Schefter.
The Broncos will face the winner of Texans vs. Patriots, but the road ahead now looks drastically different, and the emotional echoes from Sunday night show just how much Bo Nix meant to Denver’s playoff surge.
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