The news on Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix‘s surgically repaired ankle never seems to get any better.
Originally thought to be out 4-6 weeks following surgery in late January, NFL insider James Palmer reported during a Tuesday appearance on the “Up & Adams Show” that the 2024 1st round pick won’t even be cleared as a full participant in team activities until July following a surprise follow-up surgery on the ankle in April.
“This was a big talking point in Denver because everybody was going ‘He’s ahead of schedule’ from (owner) Greg Penner to (head coach) Sean Payton to (general manager) George Paton,” Palmer said. “Everything is perfectly fine. Easy procedure … and then he has a 2nd procedure, and it slides him back a little bit. But he’ll be on the field in June, and he’ll be full-go in July, so when training camp starts, he should be right there.’
Nix fractured his ankle on 1 of the final plays of an overtime win over the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Divisional Round and, incredibly, stayed on the field for the final few plays — after he was hurt — to set up a game-winning field goal.
Nix’s injury wasn’t disclosed until an hour after the game had ended, when Payton returned to tell the media that his star quarterback would be out for the AFC Championship Game the following week.
Second Surgery Took Everyone by Surprise
Nix’s 2nd surgery took the football world by surprise, although how much the Broncos knew or didn’t know or when they knew it still isn’t clear.
“During his scheduled re-check with Dr. Norman Waldrop last week, Broncos QB Bo Nix had a successful and anticipated follow-up clean-up procedure on his ankle,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport wrote on his official X account on April 28. “While the team is expected to be conservative with his participation during the offseason program, Nix continues to make strong progress in his recovery and remains firmly on track to be ready for the start of training camp.”
In 2 seasons as the Broncos’ starting quarterback, Nix is 24-10 in the regular season and 1-1 in playoff games. The Broncos went 14-3 in 2025 and earned the No. 1 seed in the AFC Playoffs. Denver lost to the Patriots, 10-7, in the AFC Championship Game after Nix’s injury, with longtime backup Jarrett Stidham starting in his place.
Broncos Not Being Clear About Extent of Injury
No one with the Broncos seems to have been prepared to handle the deluge of public interest about Nix’s health, or at least none of them took time to get their stories straight.
“Bo Nix and the Broncos’ brass have indicated, if not flat-out said, that Bo will be ready for the offseason program,” DNVR’s Zac Stevens wrote on his official X account on April 28. “In January, Bo said the injury will ‘be absolutely no issue this offseason.’ In March, Greg Penner said: ‘no concerns at all for (the offseason program) and going forward from there.’ In March, Sean Payton said Bo will participate in the offseason program. With tonight’s news of a scheduled clean-up procedure, it appears that the timetable might be changing.”
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Broncos Get More Bad News on Injured QB Bo Nix appeared first on HEAVY.