The injury to Bo Nix will always trigger some sort of PTSD. The highest of highs, followed by the lowest of lows.
What could have been?
Until he plays a regular-season game, all eyes will be on Nix. It’ll also lead to questions about how it’ll impact his play for the Denver Broncos. The Broncos quarterback has taken the first steps post-ankle injury by taking the field at training camp.
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And through the first two days of camp, he hasn’t missed a beat. Nix is tossing bombs and dimes to receivers and running backs. As Luca Evans put on social media, Nix looks “considerably better + more poised + accurate two days into 2026 camp than at this time in 2025 camp.”
For those concerned that Nix wouldn’t be the same after his ankle injury, they can exhale.
As he said to the media after practice on Saturday:
“I feel great. I feel normal. Nothing’s holding me back. I’m out there playing like I normally do and feel really good in my spot. I’m going to continue to push it and progress, and also continue to physically get ready for this long season. Right now, I’m exactly where I want to be for our plan, and actually was a little bit ahead of where I was last year going into the season, going into the summer. I feel really good, feel like I’m in a good spot. I think it’s showing on the field.”
For those curious whether the injury will change how Nix plays and what he does on the field, he emphatically ended that discussion. Specifically, if Nix has thought about not running quite as much.
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“Absolutely not. I’m going to roll, and I’m going to be as athletic as I can be,” Nix said to the media. “Like the earlier question, it’s a strength of ours, and we have to use our strengths. For me, that’s when I feel at my best, and that’s when I feel free.
“When I’m playing like that, when I’m moving around, it’s a good thing, but at the same time, I also know what it’s like to not have that asset and have to stay in the pocket. I feel strong no matter what the play’s going to be, no matter what happens defensively, no matter what my reaction is, I feel capable of doing it.”
The fact that Nix’s ankle injury won’t impact his ability to extend and make plays with his legs is huge for him and the Broncos offense. That’s one of the major reasons the Broncos had the success they had last season.
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As Broncos head coach Sean Payton said to the media on Saturday:
“It’s one of his superpowers. It’s hard to sack some quarterbacks; he’s one of them. That was something you saw on college tape. In our league, when you take a sack, you just do the analytics on what your points become in that drive, or likelihood to kick a field goal, and it all drops dramatically. So it’s certainly one of his strengths.”
The key for Nix is not to become too reliant on that strength, injury or not.
“For me, it’s just about the balance,” he said. “It’s making the plays when they’re there, but at the same time using that creativity and skill set when it’s not. Today, always I feel like at every practice I’ve ever been in, there’s a time or two in practice that you have to move and escape and practice that dynamic play. Our guys are in tune with it, and those guys are moving around with me. It’s just all about the play’s never over, and also being smart and just making plays.”
Just like anything else in life that comes with experience. As Nix enters Year Three, there are areas where he’s shown drastic growth, such as his leadership. The more he plays and practices, the more he will improve.
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“Year 1, I’m trying to just not mess up for the team,” Nix said. “I feel like Year 3, I’m trying to make plays for the team. It’s just quite the different feeling. It’s just a confidence-level thing. I think playing as many games as I have already, there’s hardly going to be a situation I haven’t been in. So it’s good to lead our team.
“It’s good to be on a team with other solid leaders, other veteran guys who do a great job of leadership. It’s not just me out there. There are a lot of voices, and I just think we have a really good feel right now with the leadership and the guys that are responding to our leadership. We have a really good team.”
Until Nix plays in the regular season and people see him, there will be some pause. At least for now, the concerns and thoughts about Nix and his injury can be put on ice.
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That means good things not only for Nix but also for the Broncos as they look to build off last season.
“It feels like we’re heading in the right direction as a team,” Nix said. “We’re all sort of continuing to get our feet wet the first couple of days, learning some new things, and also getting back to our favorites. I think it’s been good to see everybody move around. It’s been a competitive first couple of days, offense and defense, which is what you want to see. Both sides of the ball have been making a lot of plays. It’s just a fun time right now.”
