Bo Nix unfortunately will not be able to play in the next round of the 2026 NFL playoffs, as he will need surgery to repair his ankle. It’s a tough blow for the Denver Broncos,though the team does have Jarrett Stidham listed on the depth chart as the backup quarterback.
One of the first reports came from Ian Rapoport, who posted on X about Nix’s situation: “Heartbreaking. Broncos QB Bo Nix’s playoffs are over. He’s having surgery to repair a broken ankle, coach Sean Payton announced,” a message that quickly drew more than 391,000 views.
Stidham is not the only quarterback on the depth chart, but he is the only one who is active and ready to play. The other name listed is Sam Ehlinger, who is inactive, but according to the Broncos’ head coach, he will be on standby as the emergency third quarterback.
The Broncos could turn to a ‘veteran’
Stidham is not just any backup quarterback. He has six years of NFL experience and served as Tom Brady’s backup in 2019. In 2020, he was also the backup to Cam Newton in New England. He later spent time with the Raiders, and since 2023 he has been in the Broncos’ system, where he has started only two games and has no playoff experience.
During the 2025 regular season, Stidham did not throw a single pass, something that could understandably concern some Broncos fans who were hoping to have Nix for the remainder of the playoffs. Now, they will have to rely on a backup quarterback who has not thrown a pass for the team since 2023.
“Jarrett Stidham is 1–3 as a starter. He has not thrown a pass in a game since Jan. 5, 2025 (Week 18 last year). He has not started since Jan. 7, 2024 (Week 18 two years ago). He will start against either the best defense (HOU) or the third-best defense (NE) by points allowed,” Michael Sicoli wrote on X.