Broncos QB Bo Nix had three fractures in his back during November win at Las Vegas
Jan 13, 2025
Bo Nix didn’t just play in every game his rookie season.
He played through injury, too.
The Denver quarterback sustained three transverse process fractures in his back during Denver’s Nov. 24 win at Las Vegas, he said Monday after the Broncos’ season ended.
Nix said he got “twisted up” during the game against Las Vegas and sustained the fractures.
He finished the game and then played against Cleveland on Monday Night Football in early December before the team’s bye week. Nix was listed that week as a limited participant in practice due to a back issue.
“That week got treatment, made it through that week,” Nix explained. “Monday Night Football, it was a stretch that we were all banged up and I wasn’t going to miss the first Monday night game. I got treatment on it and then I was fortunate we had an off week that next week.
“It kind of went away after that. For that moment it was annoying, but it kind of went away.”
A transverse process is the bony part of each vertebrae that sticks out to the side. Nix had three fractures in the lower part of his back. Such fractures most typically happen after collisions but in most cases don’t impact the structural integrity of the vertebrae itself.
During the Vegas game, the cameras caught Nix wincing and grabbing at his lower back after throwing while moving backward with defensive end Maxx Crosby in his face. He went to the bench area after that possession and had training staff looking at his lower side and back area.
He quickly put to bed any thought of missing the Monday night game during his normal news conference that week, saying Nov. 29: “I’m good to go.”
One potential ramification of the injury: Nix used his legs less in that span. He ran just one time for 5 yards against the Raiders and then three times for 4 yards against the Browns.
Nix said the rest of the season he felt fine and he was not listed on the team’s injury report after the bye week as Denver got prepared for a Dec. 15 game against Indianapolis.
Nix earned respect from his teammates quickly during his rookie season, but playing through the injury only heightened his status in the eyes of many.
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“It means a lot,” left guard Ben Powers told The Post on Monday. “That’s a tough son of a gun. He’s willing to do that, it says a lot about his character, what he wants to accomplish and where he wants to go.”
Said right guard Quinn Meinerz, “He doesn’t flinch. He never flinched all year, whether it was playing in his first game or playing injured. That shows his toughness and his competitiveness and you saw it on display every single week.”
Nix played every meaningful snap of the season for Denver, ceding wrap-up duty to Jarrett Stidham at the end of blowout wins against New Orleans, Atlanta and Kansas City in Week 18.
Along the way, he completed 66.3% of his passes for 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He also rushed for 430 yards and four more touchdowns and even caught a touchdown on a trick play against Baltimore in Week 9.
Nix went through a spell after the back injury where he turned the ball over more than he did the rest of the season. He threw two interceptions against Cleveland and then three against Indianapolis after the bye week.
After that, though, Nix threw nine touchdowns against one interception in Denver’s final three regular-season games.
Quarterbacks coach Davis Webb told The Post last week that he showed Nix his friend’s stats during that stretch to remind him that it happens to every rookie.
“Hey, listen, your favorite quarterbacks growing up did the same thing,” Webb said. “You just experienced it. I threw four (interceptions), you threw three. Congrats. It’s part of the game. You touch the ball every play. You and the center. It’s bound to happen. And for him to have his first rookie moment that late in the season was impressive.”
As it turns out, Nix’s rookie moment came shortly after he also sustained a back injury.
This story will be updated
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