News of Broncos quarterback Bo Nix’s broken ankle in the divisional round of the playoffs came as a surprise since he played the entire overtime win over the Bills, but head coach Sean Payton indicated on Tuesday the injury was inevitable.
Payton said that the surgeon that operated on Nix last week said that operation uncovered signs of a problem “coming sooner than later” for the 2024 first-round pick.
“What was found was a condition that was predisposed — they always find a little more when they go in,” Payton said in a press conference. “It wasn’t a matter of if, it was a matter of when. When you look at the play and you’re trying to evaluate it — the doctor, the operating surgeon said that this was going to happen sooner than later.”
Nix also broke bones in his ankle in high school and college, but Payton said that the team is not concerned about Nix’s long-term health as a result of his latest injury and the subsequent discovery by doctors. Payton said that Nix will “go about the rehab, proper orthotics, all those things” and that the outlook is “fairly optimistic” about how soon Nix will be ready to return to football activity.
