As if there weren't already enough parallels between the Denver Broncos team that won Super Bowl 50 and the current version of the team, the Broncos will now be hosting the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game.
Just like old times.
The Patriots beat the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round, punching their ticket to the Championship Round to face off against the Broncos. And of course, that would be the Bo Nix-less Broncos at this point. Patriots quarterback Drake Maye offered a really gracious sentiment toward Nix, his peer in the 2024 NFL Draft class, after New England's win.
Drake Maye says Bo Nix injury news is "heartbreaking" as Patriots get ready to face Broncos
"The news is heartbreaking."
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 18, 2026
Drake Maye on Bo Nix's season-ending ankle injury. pic.twitter.com/B3jkDGqnAK
"...Obviously the news is heartbreaking. For what a player he is, the guy he is...Just praying for Bo. I know he's going to bounce back. He's a great player in this league, and look forward to matching up with him...I know he'll bounce back."
- Drake Maye on Bo Nix
It's a nice sentiment from Maye, who also said he was looking forward to competing with Nix after Nix beat him in a matchup the two had during their college years.
The Patriots are no strangers to coming to Denver for big games. For whatever reason, the Broncos were their kryptonite during the entire Tom Brady era during the postseason. The Broncos handed Tom Brady his first-ever playoff loss, and obviously they won multiple AFC Championship games against the Patriots during the Peyton Manning era as well.
This is a completely different and unique situation, however, with the Patriots opening as early 5.5-point favorites over the Broncos because of the Jarrett Stidham injury.
And even if Bo Nix were playing in this game, it would be fascinating to see how the matchup was perceived by the folks in Vegas.
But this game includes storylines galore, regardless. The Broncos will be starting Jarrett Stidham at the quarterback position, a man who was once thought (at least by some) to be the heir apparent in New England to Tom Brady. But then Josh McDaniels left New England, took Stidham with him briefly to the Raiders, and the Broncos stole Stidham from the Raiders in 2023.
It's not really a revenge game for Stidham against the Patriots, but fascinating to see him getting his first start in over 700 days against the team that drafted him.