Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos are heading into the 2026 season with legitimate questions about the quarterback’s long-term ankle health. 

Nix suffered an ankle injury during last season’s playoffs that kept him out of the AFC Championship Game against New England, a game the Broncos probably win if their quarterback is on the field. 

That loss still stings for Denver, and it has predictably led to fans and analysts suggesting that Nix should change the way he plays to protect himself.

I get it. I do. That’s a natural reaction when you want to protect your franchise player.

But it’s the wrong reaction.

Bo Nix has to be Bo Nix

As The Denver Post has noted, Nix has had at least four invasive ankle procedures since high school. As a result, it’s fair for people to wonder whether he should scramble less or be less aggressive with his legs. 

But here’s the reality: Bo Nix has to be Bo Nix. He can’t play scared. He can’t change who he is because he’s afraid of getting hurt.

No, he doesn’t need to be diving headfirst into defenders – that’s true for any quarterback in the league. But when he’s competing, he can only be thinking about the moment and doing what he has to do to win each play. If there’s anything in the back of his mind slowing him down or causing hesitation, he’s not going to be the best version of himself. 

The defensive players in the NFL are too good for a quarterback to operate at anything less than full-go. Playing quarterback in the NFL is one of the hardest things to do in sports. You can’t take your foot off the gas. If you do, it’s not going to work out. It’s that simple. 

Unfortunately for Nix and Broncos fans, the ankle situation comes down to hope. You’ve just got to hope it holds up. We’ve seen players who can’t get past injuries, who deal with the same nagging problems throughout their careers. And we’ve seen players who have injury trouble early, overcome it, and then go on to stay healthy for years. Nobody knows which path Nix is on. It’s basically a luck-of-the-draw situation. 

The good news is that Nix seems to agree with that approach. His longtime quarterbacks coach said this week, via The Denver Post, that Nix doesn’t feel like the ankle is going to affect the way he plays. 

“I honestly think he trusts it,” said Nix’s longtime QB trainer Ben Neill. “He trusts his body. He trusts the work that he’s done. And I don’t see it affecting him really at all, to be honest with you.”

I think we’re going to see Bo Nix play like Bo Nix this fall. 

Now, there are probably going to be moments where he comes up limping, and the entire fanbase holds its breath. When that happens, the reaction can’t be anger at Nix for competing the only way he knows how.

Asking Nix to do anything else would be unfair, and take away what makes him an elite player.