Joe Buck says what all Broncos fans are thinking about MNF announcement

The Denver Broncos will officially be opening up their 2026 season on Monday Night Football against the Kansas City Chiefs. Although the location of the game is yet to be determined, ESPN play-by-play commentator Joe Buck revealed the matchup and said what every Broncos fan has been hoping to hear regarding quarterback Bo Nix at the start of this season.

The matchup really says it all, but Buck went on Good Morning America and said that his understanding of Bo Nix's health status is precisely what Sean Payton recently revealed at the team's rookie minicamp: He'll be ready to go by training camp.

The NFL putting this matchup in Week 1 says it all, and not just about Bo Nix, but about Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes as well. The league is banking on those two guys playing in what should be one of the most-viewed games of Week 1.

Joe Buck's MNF announcement all but confirms what every Denver Broncos fan hoped about Bo Nix

It's been a fascinating offseason when it comes to the discourse and news updates around Broncos quarterback Bo Nix.

After suffering a fractured ankle in the Divisional Round of the playoffs against Buffalo, Nix missed the AFC Championship Game and Denver's Super Bowl hopes were effectively dashed. There were so many different reports and statements made about Nix's recovery timeline, including updates earlier in the offseason from the team that he was expected to be a full participant in all of the team's offseason program.

A check-up during the NFL Draft ultimately led to a second procedure on the ankle, which was apparently very minor, but caused the timeline to change.

All of a sudden, there was panic once again in Broncos Country as the shock from the initial report of Nix's injury still has some a little skittish with any and every update that comes out about the star quarterback. But Sean Payton did his best to quell those concerns at his recent media availability, not even waiting for any questions about Nix, but simply offering a candid -- and very positive -- update.

"Let me go through clearly with [QB] Bo Nix, where he’s at. He’s doing great. He’ll be well ahead of time for training camp. I think there’s a good chance we see him in this offseason program in June. We’re going to be the ones kind of holding him back, if you will. The follow-up procedure was not a surprise. I was just talking to [Vice President of Player Health & Performance] Beau [Lowery].

We had five other players that staged surgeries, where there’s a step, they evaluate and then a second step. We had five. [Nix] was the sixth that actually went through that. No surprises. We feel real good about where he is at. You guys will have a chance to see it here in a few weeks, but clearly full speed by training camp. We just want to be smart relative to holding him back a little."

- Sean Payton (via Broncos PR)

This is likely where Buck is getting his information on the health of Nix, and it makes sense to follow the bread crumbs with this game being scheduled in Week 1. If the NFL was pessimistic, in any way, about either Nix's or Mahomes's availability, they wouldn't have put this game in such a prime window.

They know this matchup is going to draw tons of viewership, and that's because of the star power at quarterback.

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