The Buffalo Bills couldn’t even sit in anguish before news came through that made their Divisional Round loss to the Denver Broncos even worse. Yes, even worse than the controversial ending the officials brewed on the final drive in overtime with four flags thrown on the Bills’ defense, three of which were accepted.
Shortly after the game, Broncos head coach Sean Payton shocked the NFL world by announcing that quarterback Bo Nix fractured a bone in his ankle on that final drive, and the injury will end his season.
Now the Bills have to watch the AFC Championship next week, knowing that the team that just beat them in the playoffs just had their chances of reaching the Super Bowl crushed by the injury.
Bufallo Bills left grappling with another cruel postseason what-if after Bo Nix news
According to Payton, Nix was hurt on the 1st and 10 run he took off left tackle three plays before the game-winning field goal. Cole Bishop tackled him for a loss of two yards, and it seemed like a routine play. Nix got up, favoring his ankle a bit, but it wasn’t exactly obvious that he was hurt.
Here’s the play on which Broncos coach Sean Payton said QB Bo Nix suffered a broken bone in his ankle that will require surgery and end his season, pressing Jarrett Stidham into the lineup for next week’s AFC Championship Game. pic.twitter.com/2QvotSfmJR
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 18, 2026
He played out the rest of the game, lofting up a deep shot to Marvin Mims on the next play, during which Tre’Davious White was called for pass interference and then a personal foul on top of it after the play.
Reportedly, Nix will be in Birmingham, Alabama, on Tuesday for surgery. From there, he’ll prepare for a rehab-filled offseason and then watch the Denver Broncos host the AFC Championship without him, either against the New England Patriots or the Houston Texans.
Obviously, if it’s the Patriots, this is going to get even worse for Bills fans. Imagine the Bills timing Tom Brady’s exit from New England nearly perfectly to match Josh Allen entering his prime, only to see them reach the Super Bowl before them after a full rebuild because they played the team without its starting quarterback, all because the Bills couldn’t beat the Broncos. It’s a tough look, and a reality Bills Mafia doesn’t want to live in.
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Jarrett Stidham, who hasn’t thrown an NFL pass since 2023, will start for the Broncos next week in the AFC Championship, barring any further chaotic storylines in the Philip Rivers-coming-out-of-retirement genre.
No matter how the AFC Championship or Super Bowl LX unfolds, Bills fans will be sick watching them, knowing how close they were to having the chance themselves.