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Biggest Overreaction From Broncos' Offseason Program

Jun 16, 2026; Englewood, CO, USA; Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton during mini camp at Broncos Park. Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

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Biggest Overreaction From Broncos' Offseason Program

Originally posted on Denver Broncos on SI
By Chad Jensen | Last updated Jun 25, 2026 5:48 PM ET

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Bo Nix was supposed to be back from his ankle surgery in time to get every snap during the Denver Broncos' offseason training program. That was the team's message throughout the offseason, beginning in January when Nix first suffered his fractured ankle.

Alas, Nix developed some painful bone spurs during his recovery that required a clean-up procedure in April, which set his return clock back by a few weeks. Instead of being there for Day 1 of OTAs, training camp was circled as his official return date.

Mile High Anxiety

That had many denizens of Broncos Country a bit anxious over their budding franchise quarterback. Some fans even felt like the team hadn't been honest with the public about Nix's recovery outlook, which couldn't be further from the truth.

It didn't help that Broncos head coach Sean Payton kind of mishandled the initial PR message on Nix's injury. So much so that, shortly after undergoing surgery, Nix opted to call a Zoom presser of his own to correct the record and clarify that he did not have a preexisting ankle condition that led to the fracture, as Payton initially intimated publicly.

That being said, nobody has a crystal ball. The truth is, if Nix's recovery had gone completely smoothly and without the development of bone spurs, he likely would have been able to fulfill the initial timeline set out by the team.

But it's better that Nix took care of the bone spurs when he did, instead of them perhaps festering and forcing him to undergo the procedure — Football Gods forbid — during the 2026 season.

Honestly, the fact that Broncos fans got to see Nix out there for any on-field activities during the offseason program is a victory and a positive harbinger for his recovery. He didn't participate in OTAs, but he did practice on Day 2 of mandatory minicamp, though he was limited to individual drills.

Nix must have felt pretty good, though, because he took another step forward on Day 2 of minicamp, participating in individual drills and the 7-on-7 portion of team period. Payton said the Broncos will likely fully clear Nix by the end of June, and the quarterback himself said he could have been a full go for minicamp if the team had let him.

Much Ado About Nothing

Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The hand-wringing over Nix's initial absence from OTAs was a case of much ado about nothing. When he's out there in September running around, throwing touchdowns, and leading the Broncos to hard-fought wins, nobody is going to even remember that he missed a handful of June practices.

This was easily the most overblown storyline of the Broncos' offseason training program. But it's understandable. Fans saw how integral Nix is to this team's Super Bowl goals last season.

Nix had this team on the brink of the Super Bowl before suffering that ankle fracture in the Broncos' wild 33-30 overtime win over the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round of the playoffs. As soon as he was absent from the equation, though, the Broncos' ship sank.

Nix is the cornerstone of the Broncos' foundation. He's the tide that raises all the Broncos' ships around him. Alright, I'll drop the cliches for now, but you get the point.

So thank your lucky football stars that Nix has already returned to the field. Once again, everything is possible for the Broncos.

All the goals are on the table because Nix is back. And his ankle is "good as new."

"[I] just wanted to go ahead and get it out of the way for good. Now they tell me—I didn’t get in there and look at it—but the doctors told me that the ankle looks good as new," Nix said during minicamp. "We’re right back to normal.”

The veterans will report for Broncos training camp on July 28. From there, Nix and company are going to be off to the 2026 races. It's going to be a fun year.