Bo Nix reveals that he played through three fractures in back

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — When Bo Nix fired a bullet to wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. that turned into a 93-yard touchdown strike during the Broncos’ 41-32 Monday Night Football win over the Cleveland Browns, he did so despite playing with a back injury.

Nix made that pass while recovering from three transverse process fractures in his back, which he suffered eight days earlier in a Denver win over Las Vegas. The rookie quarterback dismissed any notion of trouble at the time, telling media, “I’m good to go, ready to roll” when asked about landing on the official injury report and being limited in practice.

But the discomfort was palpable.

“Monday Night Football, it was a stretch that we were all kind of banged up,” Nix said.

But sitting out wasn’t an acceptable outcome.

“I wasn’t going to miss the first Monday night game, so I got treatment on it,” he said.

It wasn’t Nix’s best game; in fact, his completion percentage of 51.4 was his second-lowest of the season, only better than his work on a windy, rainy afternoon against the New York Jets in Week 4. But the singular strike was enough to overcome a pair of interceptions as the Broncos notched their third-consecutive win.

Fortunately for Nix, a bye week followed.

“We were fortunate to have an off week that next week and kind of went away after that,” Nix said. “But for that moment it was annoying. But we all play with annoying.”

Bo Nix explains playing with three transverse process fractures in his back, which he suffered at Las Vegas on Nov. 24: "I wasn't going to miss the first Monday night game (vs. Cleveland)," he said. "For that moment it was annoying. But we all play with annoying things." pic.twitter.com/HpRqKfR3t7

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) January 13, 2025