ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) 鈥� Sean Payton said at his season-ending news conference Tuesday that Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix had a preexisting ankle condition that made a fracture inevitable.
Nix on Denver’s game-winning drive in the Broncos’ 33-30 overtime victory over the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round of the playoffs.
Nix flew to Birmingham, Alabama, last week for an operation performed by Dr. Norman E. Waldrop III, a foot and ankle specialist at the Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Center.
Nix watched from a suite Sunday as backup Jarrett Stidham took his place in Denver’s 10-7 loss to the New England Patriots in the .
On Tuesday, the Broncos’ brass provided the fullest accounting yet of Nix’s injury, with Payton saying a preexisting issue made the fracture 鈥渁 matter of when.鈥�
鈥淲hat was found was a condition that was predisposed 鈥� they always find a little more when they go in,鈥� Payton said. 鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 a matter of if, it was a matter of when. When you look at the play and you鈥檙e trying to evaluate it 鈥� the operating surgeon said that this was going to happen sooner than later. Now, you go about the rehab, proper orthotics, all those things.”
Payton said he has no concerns about Nix鈥檚 health going forward even though Nix has had several ankle operations going back to high school.
鈥淪o listen, he鈥檒l rehab his tail off and get ready and get back to being healthy,鈥� Payton said. 鈥淚 think for someone who runs with the ball, I think he鈥檚 done a pretty good job of protecting himself, not all the time, but for the most part, he鈥檚 done a pretty good job of sliding and understanding playing for another day.鈥�
General manager George Paton said Nix is tracking to return in May when the Broncos begin organized team activities.
Also Tuesday, Payton , wide receivers coach Keary Colbert and cornerbacks coach Addison Lynch. Lombardi and Payton had worked together for 15 years.
Just before going to the lectern for his wrapup news conference, Payton said he saw Nix cruising around team headquarters on his medical scooter, which he’ll use until he graduates to crutches and then a walking boot.
鈥淗e was just up above us here,鈥� Payton said from the atrium of the Broncos’ suburban headquarters. 鈥淚 said, 鈥榃hat are you doing? Getting your scooter laps in?鈥�
鈥淵ou have to know him. He鈥檚 fidgety to begin with,鈥� Payton said. 鈥淗e might have just been getting his scooter laps. He was up there, like, in an area he鈥檇 never be in department-wise. He鈥檚 handling it like a pro. Man, I鈥檓 sure there鈥檚 disappointment for him to have to watch” on Sunday.
Nix led the Broncos (15-4) to a franchise record-tying 14 wins in the regular season and their first playoff triumph since Super Bowl 50 a decade ago. He’s won 25 games in two seasons and has an NFL-best 11 game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime during that span.
鈥淚t鈥檚 difficult to get as far as he brought us, and then also to see one of his contemporaries, someone in his draft class who he would have loved to have competed against, advance,” Payton said of Patriots QB Drake Maye, who was Nix’s predraft training partner.
“It鈥檚 a tough deal.鈥�
Fourth-down fiasco
Payton said he’s still smarting over from the New England 14 instead of trying a chip-shot field goal that would have given Denver a 10-0 lead with a blizzard on the way.
鈥淚 think probably what irks me more is the call more than the decision鈥� to go for it, Payton said of the bootleg rollout that New England deciphered in what turned out to be a turning point in the game. 鈥淭here are those moments that you wish you had back.鈥�
Salary cap relief
The Broncos will soon be out from under the record $85 million in dead cap charges from releasing Russell Wilson. They took a $53 million charge in 2024 and $32 million against their 2025 salary cap.
Combined with their new $175 million training facility and headquarters, the Broncos figure to be major players in free agency again.
鈥淚 think, like in any case, if I said I鈥檓 going give you $50,000 to decorate your home or $200,000, your home鈥檚 going to look nicer, I think if you鈥檙e a decent shopper, if you have more money,鈥� Payton said. “I think the same takes place with our sport.
鈥淚’m proud of the way everyone else handled it, and looked at developing young players and didn鈥檛 use it as a built-in excuse. We can find those all the time. I think it鈥檚 significant, and it鈥檚 still important. We evaluate wisely. We draft wisely. We make these decisions regarding free agency with well-thought-out plans, and we go from there.鈥�
Paton said, 鈥淚 think players will want to come here for a number of reasons,鈥� chief among them the Walton-Penner ownership group.
鈥淵ou can see what they鈥檝e done, and what they鈥檙e doing, and what they continue to do, and all the resources and leadership they鈥檝e shown,鈥� Paton said. 鈥淚 think the quarterback makes a big difference. Players want to come for the quarterback, and the fan base in Denver. People love it here, and I think that helps. Now we鈥檙e playing at a high level, and again it starts over. I think players will want to be here.鈥�
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