Bo Nix is back!
The last time we saw Bo Nix, he was completing a thrilling overtime comeback victory in the Divisional Round of the playoffs against Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. It was an instant classic and a game that should have changed the perception around Bo Nix moving forward.
Unfortunately, about 30 minutes after the game ended, Sean Payton would come back out and announce to the media and the world that Bo Nix suffered a broken ankle in the final moments of the game. It was a gut punch
to the fans, the city, and the team. As we know, they would fall short a week later, and we’re all left wondering, “What if he was healthy?”
Well, after an offseason that consisted of two surgeries and concern, Bo Nix is back at practice and feeling better than ever.
The Broncos’ franchise quarterback was back on the practice field, and according to head coach Sean Payton, he was looking good and could be a full participant by the end of this month.
“Good. There are certain things he didn’t do in the team periods, but a lot of what he did in the individual… He’s doing well. He’s doing really well. I was just talking to [former Broncos G] Mark Schlereth earlier, pre-practice. He’ll clearly be ready in time for training camp. I think he’s going to be ‘full’ [participant] by the end of this month. Yet, it’s good to have him out here in uniform.”
Payton has been saying he will be 100% ready to go for the start of training camp here in a little over a month, and this pretty much confirms that, which is great news. Nix has been taking mental reps throughout the spring and is now starting to get some of the physical reps down.
As for Bo Nix’s ankle, the Broncos quarterback is feeling better than ever. He told reporters the second surgery was to remove bone spurs that were causing him some trouble. He could have waited until next offseason to do it, but he and his doctor decided now was a good time to do it, and it would allow Nix to be back before the start of training camp, so he went ahead and had that second procedure done.
“[I had] the first [operation] obviously right after the season. Non-weight-bearing for a couple of weeks, get back going. [I] felt pretty good, was still having a little bit of an issue with bone spurs. What we did was—even though I probably could’ve gone again and [played] the whole season again—it was just aggravating me for too long. So what we did was, since I was a little bit ahead, thought it best to go ahead and decompress it a little bit. Then [I] still had plenty of time to get back for the summer and to prepare for the season. Thank goodness. OTAs wise, you want to go through them, but at this point going into Year 3… Actually the other day at practice somebody said I had played like 35 or something games already, which is just hard to believe it’s been that long very quickly. [I] knew that OTAs would be a good learning experience from side perspective watching, getting sort of my mental reps and then getting all my physical reps as the summer and season comes. [I] feel really good where I’m at. I’m actually sort of glad we got it all out of the way, don’t have to do it in the years to come. Football is a physical game, so there’s no telling what will come up. For right now, I feel really good about the steps we’re making and am going to be just fine for the season.”
He later would tell reporters the doctors told him his ankle is good as new, and he was then asked if he was worried about his mobility being impacted by these surgeries. Nix joked that his ankle hasn’t been good as new for a few years now and that his only concern now is that he will be even more mobile than before.
It’s great news that Nix’s mobility is back, and hell, he might be moving around a little bit better than before. His ability to move around in the pocket, extend plays, take off and run, and avoid sacks has been a trademark of his game since entering the league. The fact that none of that is impacted by these surgeries, and could even be better, is music to the ears of Broncos Country. We need that Bo Nix on the field if this team wants to win a Super Bowl.
As for all the panic about his ankle from fans and the media, Nix reassured fans that he will be fine and joked, “It’s a broken bone for crying out loud”.
At the end of the day, I’ve been here before and I feel great. I’m going to be strong, and I’m going to be fast and elusive. Everything that I’ve done in the past, I’m going to be able to do again. It’s a broken bone for crying out loud. Everybody probably here has had an issue with a broken bone, and you end up right back the same. I feel really confident in myself and my training, and this will not hinder me at all.”
Now that Bo Nix is back, coming off the best game of his career in the biggest game of his career, the expectations are high for him and the Broncos. He told reporters that at the end of the day, every quarterback wants to win the Super Bowl and MVP, and that will be his goal every year.
“Yes, I think it’s just like each and every year. I want to have a great completion percentage and put the ball in play. I want to have very few turnovers and mental errors. At the end of the day, if you asked that question to every quarterback, they want to win the Super Bowl and an MVP. That’s what is going to be my goal each and every year. Now some of those don’t have to do with me, it’s voted by someone else. But at the same time, you have to give them a reason not to choose you. Super Bowl is a little bit cleaner because it’s actually something you can do for yourself.”
I wouldn’t rule out a Bo Nix MVP run this year. It’s year three; his confidence is high, and he now has Davis Webb calling plays and Jaylen Waddle to throw passes to. The team and offense were good enough to win 14 games and reach the AFC Championship without either of those two things, and now I believe Nix and the Broncos can reach both of those goals.
At the end of the day, Bo Nix is back, and all is good in Broncos Country once again. We can stop worrying about his ankle, whether he is going to be impacted by the surgeries, and if/when he is going to practice and focus on the bigger picture. How good this team is, how good this team can be, and get excited about their eventual Super Bowl run.
