Bo Nix Wants Preseason Reps After Ankle Fracture Cut His Playoff Run Short
Nix hasn't played since fracturing his right ankle in the divisional round, and Denver hasn't locked in his preseason role yet.
Full recovery, no missed camp — draft him as your QB1 with confidence.
- Fractured right ankle vs. Bills in divisional round
- Missed AFC Title Game — first career injury absence
- 2025: 3,931 pass yds, 25 TD, 11 INT, 299 PPR pts
- Our rank: QB11, #22 overall
- Could sit until Week 2 of preseason on turf
Bo Nix hasn't taken a live snap since he fractured his right ankle in Denver's divisional-round win over Buffalo, an injury that forced him to sit out the AFC Championship Game — the first game he's ever missed for injury in his career. Now he's healthy, itching to play, and telling anyone who'll listen that preseason reps matter to him.
Head coach Sean Payton, meanwhile, is playing it coy. He said the staff hasn't finalized Nix's role yet and would share it once they do. The wrinkle: the Broncos' preseason opener is on the artificial turf at Mercedes-Benz Stadium against Atlanta, and that surface could keep Nix parked until the second week of the exhibition slate.
Nix, for his part, sounds like a guy who doesn't want to be babied. He said he's excited to get back out there, calling the preseason a chance to get his feet wet and read defenses in real time before the games count. That's the mindset you want from a franchise quarterback coming off a serious lower-body injury — no lingering hesitation, at least verbally.
The Depth Chart Battle Behind Him
While Nix's role stays fuzzy, the backup competition is wide open. Denver plans to run both Jarrett Stidham and Sam Ehlinger out against the Falcons as they fight for the QB2 job. Neither carries any fantasy relevance — both are unranked in our model, and Stidham logged a grand total of -1 rushing yards across one appearance in 2025. This is a battle for insurance, not fantasy value.
The Fantasy Angle
The only name that matters here is Nix, and the news is quietly reassuring. He's a full go, he's already talking about preseason snaps, and there's no indication the ankle is a training-camp concern. That's exactly what you want to hear before locking in your QB plans. He finished 2025 with 3,931 passing yards, 25 touchdowns and 299 PPR points across 17 games — plus 356 rushing yards and 5 rushing scores, which is the part that keeps his ceiling high.
We have Nix ranked as our QB11 (#22 overall) heading into 2026. The turf caution around his preseason debut is a workload note, not an injury red flag. If you were worried about the ankle scaring you off, don't be — draft him as a rock-solid low-end QB1 with rushing upside, and let the backup drama in Denver stay other people's problem.
