Ever since the infamous moment reports came flooding in about Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix suffering a fractured ankle in the Divisional Round win against the Buffalo Bills, everyone in Broncos Country has been waiting with bated breath to find out one thing: When will we see him on the field again?
Thankfully, as the Broncos kicked off their first on-field OTAs session of the offseason, head coach Sean Payton delivered that information.
According to Payton, Nix will be out there later in the month of June, practicing with the team during mandatory minicamp.
Sean Payton says Bo Nix will be practicing, throwing during Denver Broncos offseason program in June
Asked Sean Payton on progression with Bo Nix plan. Said he’s been throwing, and he’ll be out practicing later in June in minicamp.
— Luca Evans (@bylucaevans) June 4, 2026
Have been observing Nix moving today and haven’t seen any kind of bulky-looking brace on that right ankle. pic.twitter.com/nfYdAHpw3D
Here is a bit of what Payton had to say about the plan for getting Nix back onto the field:
"He's been -- you don't see pre-practice -- but, he's been throwing. I do think in our third week, when you guys are out here for three straight days, I think you'll see more of a role."
- Sean Payton after Broncos OTA session
There had been reports earlier this offseason that Nix would be back for the entirety of the offseason program, but those plans suffered an apparent setback when Nix had a second procedure done on his injured ankle. That second procedure was apparently expected by the team, but it wasn't reported as such in the early stages of Nix's recovery.
The reports of the timeline of Nix's recovery have, frankly, been all over the place. The bottom line is that everyone wants to see him out there healthy for the start of the 2026 season, but selfishly, fans of the team want him out there as soon as humanly possible without risk of further injury. It's the peace of mind knowing your star quarterback is going to be okay, and that he won't miss any time in a season with Super Bowl aspirations.
And it appears as though we're closing in on that date where No. 10 will be out there leading the huddle again.
The Broncos have another OTA session next week where the media will be allowed to view one practice, and then the week after that is when they have mandatory minicamp, which sounds like the timeline Payton is giving here for Nix's return to the field.
There has been genuine concern among many in the Broncos' fan base over Nix's injury, not just for the fact that it happened, but also the fact that he has had multiple ankle injuries in the past. Given how crucial Nix's mobility, escapeability, and athleticism are to his overall game, having that hindered or handcuffed in any way is worrisome.
But Payton's update here seems like a resounding "fret not" from the head coach. And that is precisely what Broncos Country needed to hear as the team kicked off OTAs with Nix not participating fully. He'll be out there before we know it.
Add us as a preferred source on Google