Despite devastating news, Nix shares a powerful message of belief in his team and confidence in his backup quarterback's Super Bowl aspirations.
The Denver Broncos thrilling 33-30 overtime win over the Buffalo Bills clinched their ticket to the AFC title game.
But, reality set in shortly after when Sean Payton announced that Nix had a broken bone in his ankle and was undergoing season-ending ankle surgery.
That means Jarrett Stidham gets the start with a Super Bowl trip on the line in a devastating blow for Nix and the Broncos.
On Wednesday, Nix posted a heartfelt message on Instagram just days after suffering the season-ending injury.
"The last few days have been hard to put into words. What started as one of the most exciting games I’ve ever been a part of ended with some of the most devastating football news I’ve ever received. This is not how I imagined my season would come to an end, but our season has been defined by overcoming adversity and responding to it .I can’t express how much this team and organization mean to me and how much I believe in them. I couldn’t be more proud of our guys. I couldn’t be more confident in Jarrett. And I couldn’t be more excited for what’s next. Thank you all for the kind words, love and support over the last few days. Thankful for my trainers, Beau, Vince and Dr. Waldrop for taking great care of me. God never says oops, and he is always good. He has big plans for this team. We’re not finished, as a matter of fact we’re just getting started. We’re just going to keep climbing higher. Go Broncos."
It's a lengthy, heartfelt and emotional statement from Nix, who led his team to a victory once again.
The second-year QB has jumped out of the gates and played well after finishing his college career with the Oregon Ducks, and it sure looked like a healthy Nix and this Broncos team was going to keep the momentum rolling. Perhaps they still can, but there are more questions now than a week ago.
But, as Nix said, he is "confident in Jarrett" and is excited to see how the team plays on Sunday.
As for the Broncos, the defense faces even more pressure with Nix sidelined, not to mention going up against the New England Patriots and NFL MVP candidate Drake Maye at quarterback.
Stidham has not attempted a regular-season pass in a long time, but the Broncos wasted no time signing him, showing how highly they think of him.
Nix faces a recovery timeline of approximately six-to-eight weeks, so he should be ready by OTAs, but not being able to finish out the playoff run is a tough pill to swallow and a feeling that will be difficult to overcome for the young QB.
For now, he roots for his team and Stidham, who faces a difficult challenge against the Patriots.
The Broncos and Patriots face off on Sunday in Denver, and the winner goes to Santa Clara to play in the Super Bowl against the winner between the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks.