Entering the 2025 season, the Denver Broncos were one of the most balanced teams in the league. Unsurprisingly, expectations were Mile High. Internally and externally, they unflinchingly remained on par to be the contenders, until the 33-30 divisional win over the Buffalo Bills turned into unfortunate news. In the second-to-last play in overtime, quarterback Bo Nix fell to the ground after a tackle.

While he continued to play and remained high in spirits, not forty minutes after his first post-game press conference, head coach Sean Payton returned to update everyone that Nix is out for the season with an ankle injury. Four months later, the Broncos are returning with an even deeper and healthier roster, but still need Nix for those last-minute heroics. Fortunately for the Broncos Country, Payton has an uplifting update on the QB.

“He’s doing great,” he told the media following the rookie minicamp on May 10, 2026. “He’ll be well ahead of time for training camp. I think there’s a good chance we see him in this offseason program in June.”

When asked about Nix possibly taking part in the Broncos’ OTA practices in early June or the team’s mandatory minicamp later that month, Payton made it clear the team does not want to haste anything.

“He’s going to want to push that earlier, but we’ll be smart,” Payton said. “You’ll see him probably in [the mandatory] minicamp — probably. He’ll be full speed throwing, everything, in July before we get back here. He’s doing good.”

On a 1st-&-10 with six minutes left in overtime, Nix was preparing to throw the ball when Bills safety Cole Bishop tackled him, holding to his left leg. However, while trying to balance, Nix put most of his weight directly on his right toes, putting pressure on his injury-prone knees. He stayed, completed the game, and did not look concerned in the post-game presser. But things turned ugly soon.

He had his first surgery two days later, on January 19, and underwent another follow-up procedure shortly before the NFL Draft. According to Payton, the cleanup procedure “was not a surprise,” and added that the staff feels “really good about where he’s at.”

While Payton maintained his confidence in backup QB Jarrett Stidham, they could not win over the eventual finalists, the New England Patriots. This season, the Broncos are returning with 10 of 11 starters on the defense and almost all offensive starters. They’ve only added depth to their roster. Still, Nix will have to carry a lot of responsibilities. For now, it begins with the offseason training camps.

The Broncos’ OTAs are scheduled for June 2-4 and June 8-11, followed by mandatory minicamp from June 16-18. And Nix sounds ready to tackle whatever hurdle comes his way.

“It’ll be absolutely no issue this offseason, I’ll be able to actually start training back when I was going to start training, so don’t miss any time there,” Nix said. “I’m going to train really hard.”

However, there will have to be some caution here, as Nix is prone to getting injured.

Bo Nix’s condition which made his ankle prone to fracture

Nix has dealt with ankle injuries before and has had multiple surgeries going back to high school. In 2021, during his time with the Auburn Tigers, he suffered a broken ankle in a loss to the Mississippi State Bulldogs. After undergoing surgery, Nix stayed positive and shared that the surgery was a “success.”

In 2022, while playing for the Oregon Ducks, Nix suffered an ankle sprain during a game against the Washington Huskies. He briefly left the game but returned and finished the season. But this problem returned in his rookie season in the NFL. In 2024, Nix suffered a vertebral fracture along with three process fractures. However, he continued to play.

“Yes, I got twisted up a little bit, had three process fractures,” Nix revealed in January 2025. “A lot of guys play with a lot of those kinds of things.”

But before he went under the knife this year, it was found that he had a preexisting issue in his ankle.

According to Payton, the fracture Nix suffered last season was really a “matter of when,” and not “if.” But Payton had no concerns about it. By that time, Nix was already making his rounds in the facility on the scooter and was scheduled to wear a boot as the rehab progressed.

Despite the injury, Nix still had a strong season. He finished with a 14-3 record and threw for more than 3,900 yards and 25 touchdowns. The Broncos will need him to operate at this elite level this year as well. And based on how things are turning out, the QB seems poised to return as planned.