The Denver Broncos have faced significant scrutiny around Bo Nix and the progress of his injured ankle, which required surgery to repair a broken bone. Nix underwent a second procedure, which the team has suggested was part of the plan all along.
Teammate Garett Bolles recently bolstered those claims with an optimistic take on his QB.
Former Broncos offensive lineman and three-time Super Bowl champion (two of which he won in Denver) Mark Schlereth is not buying it.
Former Broncos OL Mark Schlereth Concerned About Bo Nix
GettyBo Nix’s health remains a source of intrigue outside of the Denver Broncos.
Schlereth began his career in Washington and signed wth the Broncos in free agency during the 1995 offseason. Schlereth believes in the Broncos this season, particularly with Nix healthy.
That is where his question lies, though, particularly as it relates to Denver’s offseason moves.
“I think they’ve redone 10 contracts in the last, I don’t know, 12 months. Like 10 different contracts. They’re telling you we really like our players. We think our players are excellent. And then, I think when you make a trade for a Jaylen Waddle, and you look at the 30th overall pick, and you say, ‘There is nobody in this draft that can even come close to what a Jaylen Waddle has the ability to give you, is remarkable,” Schlereth said on “The Stinkin’ Truth Podcast” on May 22.
“I think there’s no question that they have done enough. It really comes down, to me, [to] Bo Nix’s ankle. I know they’re downplaying the severity of the injury, and they say, ‘Oh, it was scheduled.’ No, it wasn’t. This is an unscheduled-scheduled going back into the ankle because something; you had a setback in your rehabilitation. So, that’s the thing that scares me.”
Bleacher Report’s James Palmer reported on “Up & Adams” on May 19 that Nix is expected back “in June, and he’ll be full-go in July,” which aligns with the lack of concern from Bolles.
Bolles noted the time away allows Nix to be with his wife, Izzy Nix, and their infant daughter.
Patriots Fans Get Reality Check From Broncos Great
GettyBo Nix could have altered the outcome of the AFC Championship Game in the Denver Broncos’ favor.
Schlereth also served up a dose of reality for New England Patriots fans, noting his belief that the Broncos would have won the AFC Championship Game had Nix been healthy.
Presented with the idea that the sentiment could ruffle Patriots fans’ feathers, “Stink” stood firm.
“They won 14 games last year, the Broncos did. They went to the AFC Championship and probably would have won that had they had their starting quarterback, who, Bo Nix, was out with an ankle injury from the week before.”
“Through the first [quarter], what, they had 12 plays and 12 yards? … They were getting their butts whipped, but the Broncos just couldn’t sustain anything offensively. Ended up making a play that turned the ball over … coming off their own goal line, and that was the turning point of the game.”
The Broncos lost the AFCCG 10-7, with journeyman backup Jarrett Stidham under center in Nix’s place.
If Nix is healthy and Waddle delivers as expected, the Broncos will be formidable in 2026.
Broncos Legend Calls Out Bo Nix Situation After ‘Setback’