Bo Nix’s Raw Emotion on Broncos Missing the AFC Title Game Win Without Him

The Broncos recaptured the AFC West from the Chiefs, made the playoffs for the second time in a row, before an exit in the AFC conference game.

Bo Nix’s Raw Emotion on Broncos Missing the AFC Title Game Win Without Him

Bo Nix (Image via Getty Images)

🔍 Explore this post with:

ChatGPTPerplexityGrok AIGoogle AI

The Denver Broncos were oh so close before the New England Patriots left them despondent with a closely contested AFC Championship Final amid heavy snowfall at Mile High Stadium. The Broncos struggled to get the offense going with their star quarterback, Bo Nix, sidelined after sustaining an injury in the divisional game against the Buffalo Bills.

Unsurprisingly, it was quite a disheartening night for the second-year Oregon alum, feeling helpless in his team’s greatest game in the last decade. In Nix’s absence, the Broncos fielded Jarrett Stidham, whose previous start was more than two seasons ago.

While Stidham showed early promise with a solid start against the Patriots, the Broncos found themselves faltering to find a footing as the game went on. The snowfall in Mile-High City should have been an advantage to the home team, but as the conditions worsened, so did their game. The Patriots were able to capture and capitalize on a late lead, barely enough to nudge past the Broncos and punch their first Super Bowl appearance since Tom Brady left.

In a reveal-all interview, Nix opened up about the experience. He admitted that it was crushing to see a great season coming to an abrupt end. The Broncos finished as the AFC conference seed holders with 14-3, ranking above the Patriots due to a better record among common opponents this season. The Broncos even punched their first consecutive ten-game win streak this regular season.

It was just a bummer. It’s crushing, it’s defeating. You go that long and you play that many games, and you have that big of a season, and then it just kind of comes to an end abruptly like that. It stinks.

Bo Nix said of his injury on Wednesday, via the team’s website

After leading the Broncos through a near-perfect regular season, defeating one of the strongest postseason opponents in the divisional game, Nix was left without any influence on the outcome when it mattered the most. There’s no question he would have made a difference, considering Denver’s defense kept Drake Maye and the Patriots at bay.

While he admits the disappointment, he wanted to believe that the setback could serve as a turning point rather than a defining failure.

All adversity sort of tests you and challenges you and puts you in a different spot. I think for me, it’s just going to make playing in one of these games that much more special.

The quarterback acknowledged there is no undoing what happened, but emphasized his focus on the future, both personally and for the franchise. Furthermore, he added that the injury delivered a sobering reminder of how quickly circumstances can change in the NFL.

Bo Nix and the Broncos would look to put a stop to a Kansas City Chiefs pattern happening in Denver

The Denver Broncos started the season strong before crashing out in the AFC Championship game. The Broncos went 14-3, and now they face a huge task to sustain the same force in the upcoming season. Much like Kansas City’s 11–0 record in one-score games in 2024, Denver lived on the edge throughout its 14–3 run.

Denver Broncos QB Bo Nix
Bo Nix (Image via Imagn Images)

The Broncos went 11–2 in one-possession contests, a profile that rarely sustains year over year. When those late-game bounces disappear, elite records tend to erode quickly. With internal turmoil brewing in Denver, the team will have to ensure that they don’t suffer from the pattern the Chiefs had.

Internal instability has begun to surface. Public disagreement between Sean Payton and Bo Nix over the quarterback’s ankle injury has created unnecessary noise at a time when continuity should be prioritized. The Chiefs had similar offseason tension that quietly foreshadowed the Chiefs’ unraveling.

Furthermore, they had taken a few drastic measures, too, in terms of coaching. They had fired offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi, wide receivers coach Keary Colbert, and cornerbacks coach Addison Lynch in the wake of the conference game loss. If Denver fails to stabilize its locker room and process, the 2026 Broncos could follow the same troubling path.

Also Read: New Steelers Coach Mike McCarthy Reveals Ongoing Conversations with Aaron Rodgers