(Photo credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images)

If you were one of those eternal optimists who thought that there was the slightest chance Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix might somehow be able to recuperate in time to play in Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8, well, you can forget about it.

That's because Nix is expected to be sidelined for a full 12 weeks after having surgery last week on his broken right ankle, ESPN reported on Sunday.

During Sunday's AFC Championship Game against the New England Patriots in Denver, Nix is expected to be off his feet in a luxury box with his other injured Broncos teammates. Doctors have ordered Nix to not put any weight on his ankle for at least four weeks, sources told ESPN.

Nix should be recovered enough to participate in the Broncos' off-season program, but that's still a ways off.

In the meantime, backup Jarrett Stidham will start Sunday at quarterback for the Broncos.

'I'm not worried about Stiddy in this game,' Broncos coach Sean Payton said. 'I'm worried about everyone else and how we play. That's the truth.'Payton believes Stidham will be fine in Sunday's game. In fact, the coach said that Stidham not only will 'rip it' against the Patriots, but that he is a starting-level quarterback.

'I feel like our two [QBs] were inside the best 32,' Payton told the Denver Post this week. And yes, Payton is talking about a career backup who has not thrown a pass since the 2023 season.

Stidham, for his part, is saying the right things this week.

'I'm not treating it any differently,' Stidham said of being placed into the AFC Championship pressure cooker. 'I'm not treating my preparation any differently. I'm just gonna go out there and play and be myself.'

-Field Level Media