While Denver Broncos fans were celebrating a massive playoff win against the Buffalo Bills, news broke that star QB Bo Nix had a broken bone in his ankle and would be out for the rest of the season. Nix’s injury was devastating for the Broncos’ Super Bowl hopes, but this is the NFL, and anything can happen.
How Does an NFL Insider Believe the Broncos May Be Able To Overcome Bo Nix’s Injury?
With Nix now out, the Broncos have to pivot to a new option at QB, which is the most important position in football. It is going to be a tall task for Denver, but according to NFL Insider Albert Breer, backup QB Jarrett Stidham may be able to get the job done. “I think, for three and a half quarters, Denver might be able to assimilate what Nix brought to the position. Stidham’s a good athlete, though not the runner Nix is. He’s got real arm talent, and always has.”
If a team has its franchise QB, the backup’s job is to come in when needed and fit right in to run the offense. This is what the best backups in the NFL do with ease, and as Breer says, Stidham has some similarities with Nix.
Still, franchise QBs have the ability to take over when needed and lead teams to win, and this is where Breer has some doubts: “What we don’t know is whether he’ll be the player Nix was when it mattered most. Remember, the Broncos’ starter led seven fourth-quarter comebacks in the regular season, and another against the Bills (plus a game-winning drive for a field goal in overtime).”
As Breer lays out, reaching the level Nix can have in a game is an unknown factor for Stidham. If you just consider his time in the league, Stidham has been a career backup, so expecting him to elevate an offense and lead it to wins like Nix did is a mistake. According to PFSN’s QB Impact Metric, Nix is first in the NFL in passing attempts this season. The Broncos’ offense is built for him to take control and be the deciding factor at times.
Mike Vrabel on Jarrett Stidham: “He sees things very well. He’s athletic enough to extend…the decision making, he’s really decisive.”
— Alex Barth (@RealAlexBarth) January 19, 2026
Only time will tell if Stidham can take over and help lead the Broncos to the Super Bowl and maybe even win it all. Denver has an excellent defense (ranked #1 overall in PFSN’s Defensive Impact Metric) and can win games on its own. As long as Stidham runs the offense and the defense plays how they have all season, the Broncos can get it done, but against the New England Patriots, it will be a tough task.
