It was the worst timing for Bo Nix as he suffered a broken ankle at the end of the Denver Broncos’ victory against the Buffalo Bills, costing the quarterback a chance to play in the AFC Championship Game against the New England Patriots.
The Broncos would go on to lose to the Patriots, 10-7, in a game played in a blizzard in the second half. Denver head coach Sean Payton was heavily criticized for not taking a field goal in the first half that would have given the Broncos a 10-point lead. Now, he is under fire from his starting quarterback, Nix, for what he has said about his injury.
“What was found was a condition that was predisposed — they always find a little more when they go in,” Payton said during a press conference on Wednesday. “It wasn’t a matter of if, it was a matter of when. When you look at the play and you’re trying to evaluate it — the operating surgeon said that this was going to happen sooner than later.”
Bo Nix not happy with Sean Payton's words
Nix, obviously, took offense to his head coach’s words, fighting back in a press conference the same day.
“Nothing predisposed, nothing that was there originally,” he said. That might have gotten confused. Just a simple step with my foot up in the air, my body weight came down on it, sort of got twisted up.”
The second-year quarterback went on to say that he wasn’t a fan of his coach sharing how many surgeries he has had, stating, “he doesn’t even really know about that.”
The former Auburn and Oregon quarterback helped lead the Broncos to a 14-3 regular season, AFC West title and a playoff win against the Bills in which he threw for 279 yards and three touchdowns with one interception.