Since sustaining the ankle fracture against the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Divisional Game in January, Broncos fans have only had one question: When will Bo Nix return? After nearly five months of him going under the knife to address the problem, head coach Sean Payton had a promising update for his star QB.

“He’s going to be completely clean mobility-wise,” the head coach said at a presser on June 11.

“He’s out here today, like going through two-minute reps, walkthrough reps,” he added. “He’s young, and one of his great assets is his ability to avoid sacks and escape from the pocket. I don’t think you’ll see that hindered at all.”

Nix did not participate in the OTAs, but was a part of the walkthrough ahead of the last practice. Other than that, the Broncos QB was active minimally, jogging a little and helped conduct the drills. However, there was no brace or boot on his injured foot, which is a positive sign.

Insider James Palmer echoed Payton’s exact thoughts on the Up & Adams Show, saying that the Broncos are confident about Nix “[managing] himself pretty well outside the pocket.” His accuracy and success outside the pocket have become a unique asset for the Broncos, helping them get out of tough situations, per Sports Illustrated’s Keith Cummings. He found out that Denver won 11 close games because of this trait in Nix.

That is why the Broncos need Nix’s ankle to heal on time, because those legs help him make some great plays. He finished the 2025 season tied at fifth among quarterbacks in rushing touchdowns, with a five-score haul. Nix is not a dual-threat quarterback, but he knows when to run and keep the offense going.

Nix’s mobility has also given him the unique distinction of having the lowest sack rate (3.6%) in the league, per analyst Benjamin Solak. His career sack total is only 46, while others like Drake Maye racked up 47 in 2025 alone. Nix does a pretty good job at escaping pressure, even if he is left to fend for himself.

This season, the Broncos are hoping to continue their playoff appearance streak of two years. But this cannot be done without a fully healthy Bo Nix in the picture. Fortunately, things seem to be right on track for Payton and the QB.

Bo Nix will be able to participate more soon

Per Zack Stevens of DNVR.com, Payton said that Nix will be a bigger participant in practice next week, when mandatory minicamp begins.

Nix’s afflicted ankle already having gone through a lot might be a reason why he is still not being deployed at his full capacity. In this year alone, he’s had to undergo two procedures to that ankle. Before this recent injury, Nix has injured his ankles at least four times, dating back to his high school days, when he broke it in 2017. The QB suffered two more blows during his college career, and once in the 2025 season.

But Nix has been working diligently to be able to join practice on time. General manager George Paton said in March that the QB’s recovery was “ahead of schedule.” Per ESPN, Nix had been rehabbing the ankle at the Broncos facility every day during the offseason. He is confident that he’ll be able to get out there as planned.

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

Mandatory minicamp is set for June 16 to June 18. Hopefully, fans will get to see their star quarterback take some much-awaited snaps under center, completing the Broncos offense.