THE FUSE

Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix will miss the rest of the season after fracturing his ankle in Saturday's thrilling 33-30 play-off win over the Buffalo Bills.

Head coach Sean Payton said the 25-year-old suffered the injury three plays before kicker Wil Lutz scored the winning field goal in overtime.

Nix continued for two more plays despite the injury to help complete the win, but will now miss Denver's bid to make the Super Bowl for the first time in a decade.

Instead, Payton confirmed back-up quarterback Jarrett Stidham will start next Sunday's AFC Championship game against either the Houston Texans or New England Patriots.

Nix is scheduled to have surgery on Tuesday.

Earlier, Nix threw three touchdowns to book the Broncos' first appearance in the AFC Championship game since winning the Super Bowl in February 2016.

Nix has played an instrumental role in Denver finishing as top seed in the AFC with a 14-3 record in the regular season.

The second-year quarterback has led eight game-winning drives this season, the most by any player in the Super Bowl era aged 25 or under.

He has thrown 25 touchdowns, rushed for four and thrown for 3,931 yards in the Broncos' best season since last winning the Lombardi Trophy.

Stidham is in his third year in Denver but appeared in just one game this season and has not attempted a pass in the NFL since the 2023 season.

He will be the first quarterback to make his maiden start of the season in the Conference Championship since Roger Staubach for the Dallas Cowboys in 1972.

"We'll be ready for the next challenge," said Payton, who now has to plan how to make it to the Super Bowl without his star quarterback.