Broncos QB Bo Nix To Undergo Season-Ending Ankle Surgery
The Broncos pulled off an overtime win on Saturday to advance to the AFC title game. They will be without their quarterback for the remainder of the postseason, however. 
During his post-game press conference, head coach Sean Payton announced (via NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero) Bo Nix broke a bone in his ankle during Denver’s win over Buffalo. Surgery will be required as a result. Nix will not be able to return in time for next week’s contest or (if applicable) the Super Bowl.
Payton specified Nix’s injury occurred on the second-to-last play in overtime. It was during that sequence that a Tre’Davious White pass interference penalty set the Broncos up deep in Bills territory. Nix took a knee on the ensuing first down to help line up Wil Lutz‘s game-winning field goal. Denver is set to host the AFC championship game next week as a result of the win, but the team will now be forced to play that contest without its QB1 of the past two seasons.
Nix will undergo surgery on Tuesday. In the meantime, Denver will prepare for an unexpected quarterback situation in the wake of today’s stunning development. Per Payton, Jarrett Stidham will start next week while Sam Ehlinger will serve as the backup. Stidham logged a grand total of one snap during the 2025 season (a kneeldown in October). He will now be tasked with leading the Broncos’ offense as part of their bid to return to the Super Bowl.
Denver managed to win a back-and-forth affair during the team’s playoff debut. The Bills committed five turnovers but still managed to force overtime thanks to a last-minute field goal drive at the end of regulation. The Bronco’s offense was hot and cold throughout the day, but prior to Buffalo’s final fourth quarter possession Nix led an impressive go-ahead touchdown drive. The second-year passer was of course an important figure in Denver’s ability to clinch the No. 1 seed in the AFC and his absence will be a major storyline leading up to next week.
Coming out of college, Nix faced questions about his ceiling at the NFL level. The Auburn/Oregon product drew strong reviews early and often in the pre-draft process from Payton, however. Nix ultimately came off the board 12th overall in the 2024 draft, making him one of a record six quarterbacks taken in the first round of the event. Denver’s playoff drought came to an end last season, due in large part to Nix’s play as a full-time starter.
The 2025 campaign saw Nix, 25, produce similar numbers to his rookie season. Nevertheless, Denver managed to post a 14-3 record while enjoying strong defensive showings. Vance Joseph‘s unit did not deliver a strong performance (takeaways aside) today, but it will be heavily leaned on in the AFC title game. Stidham has been with the Broncos since Payton’s arrival in 2023, but he has made just two starts since then. His next will come at a critical time to say the least, with the Broncos seeking their first Super Bowl appearance since winning it 10 years ago.
The Patriots will host the Texans tomorrow in the AFC’s other divisional round matchup. The winner will be on the road no matter what, but either New England or Houston will spend next week preparing to face Stidham rather than Nix. This will create a highly unusual setup with the conference championship on the line.
Ex-Lions OC John Morton Joins Broncos Staff For Playoffs
Former Lions offensive coordinator John Morton has returned to the Broncos’ coaching staff in a consultant role for the postseason, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Morton, 56, was hired by Detroit last offseason to replace Ben Johnson. Lions head coach Dan Campbell took over offensive play-calling midseason, essentially spelling doom for Morton’s job security.
He was fired after the regular season concluded, which freed him up to return to Sean Payton‘s staff to help the No. 1-seeded Broncos chase a Super Bowl. Morton struggled to mount an air attack with Russell Wilson at the helm in 2023, but he coached Bo Nix to a third-place finish in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting in 2024.
Nix did not take much of a second-year leap. His 2025 statistics are similar to his rookie campaign, as are Denver’s overall offensive results. Morton’s re-introduction to the unit is not going to suddenly turn them into The Greatest Show on Turf, but he could certainly assist in their weekly game-planning, especially against a tougher slate of opponents relative to their regular-season schedule.
Morton has yet to receive any interest from another team for a 2026 coaching job. The door may be open for him to return to a position on Payton’s staff next season. A credited role in the Broncos’ potential postseason success could also revitalize interest in Morton, who has a long history as a coach with plenty of connections around the league.
Cowboys Scheduling Second Interviews With Defensive Coordinator Candidates
Almost two weeks since they fired defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, the Cowboys are getting closer to hiring his replacement, Josina Anderson of The Exhibit reports. The Cowboys are setting up second interviews with the top contenders for the position.
Vikings pass game coordinator Daronte Jones will be in Dallas to meet team brass today, according to Todd Archer of ESPN. Former Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon has scheduled a Jan. 20 in-person visit with the Cowboys, per Anderson. While Eagles pass game coordinator and defensive backs coach Christian Parker hasn’t booked an in-person sitdown yet, that’s expected to take place, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN relays.
Broncos assistant head coach and pass game coordinator Jim Leonhard was part of the Cowboys’ first round of interviews, but it’s unclear if they’ll meet with him in person. He’s ineligible for now, Archer notes. The Broncos would have to lose in the divisional round or AFC title game first. Otherwise, a Leonhard meeting would have to wait until the bye week before the Super Bowl.
Hiring Gannon, who’s on the market after winning just 15 of 51 games in Arizona, would continue the Cowboys’ recent trend of choosing ex-NFL head coaches to run their defense. Dating back to 2014, Rod Marinelli, Mike Nolan, Dan Quinn, Mike Zimmer and Eberflus have held the job for various periods.
Nolan, Zimmer and Eberflus lasted just one year apiece in Dallas. The Cowboys would surely prefer more stability in the post, whether they choose Gannon or one of the other candidates.
Gannon’s also in the running to join Quinn’s staff as the Commanders’ next defensive coordinator, while the Titans will interview him for their head coaching position on Sunday. If the 43-year-old ends up in Dallas or Washington, it would give him a second chance as an NFL defensive coordinator and a return to the NFC East. He led the Eagles’ defense from 2021-22, and the unit’s elite performance helped the team win the NFC in the second of those seasons. Gannon left for Arizona after a Super Bowl LVII loss to Kansas City.
Either Jones or Parker would be a first-time professional D-coordinator in Dallas, though the former was in charge of LSU’s defense in 2021. Jones has spent the past three seasons under Vikings DC Brian Flores, whose contract expired earlier this week. The Vikings aim to re-sign Flores, but if he departs (perhaps for a head coaching job), Jones has come up as a potential successor. Jones is also on the Jets’ radar, having already interviewed for their DC role.
Parker, 34, began his pro coaching career as a defensive quality control assistant with the Packers in 2019. He spent two seasons in Green Bay before coaching Denver’s defensive backs from 2021-23. Parker just wrapped up his second year on Vic Fangio‘s defensive staff with the Eagles, who ranked No. 1 against the pass during a Super Bowl-winning 2024 campaign. The eliminated Eagles didn’t enjoy the same success in 2025, but their pass defense still ranked eighth overall. It’s now possible they’ll lose Parker to a familiar foe.
Regardless of which candidate takes over as the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator, owner Jerry Jones and head coach Brian Schottenheimer will expect far better results in 2026. The Cowboys’ offense was among the game’s best in 2025, but a poor defensive performance doomed the team to a 7-9-1 record. Eberflus’ group allowed the most points in the league and the third-most yards.
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/16/26
Friday’s only minor transactions:
Denver Broncos
- Elevated: TE Caleb Lohner, WR Elijah Moore
With one early playoff game tomorrow to kick off the Divisional Round of the playoffs, the Broncos have announced their standard gameday practice squad elevations to match Buffalo’s. Moore will have a chance to make his Broncos debut tomorrow. He signed with Denver in early December after spending half the season with the team he’ll be playing against Saturday afternoon.
Wink Martindale, Jim Leonhard, DeMarcus Covington Among Jets’ DC Interviewees
The Jets’ defensive coordinator search has flown under the radar during a frenzied HC carousel, but it has taken shape Friday. The team announced eight candidates for the job.
In addition to interim DC Chris Harris, seven others received interviews. Don Martindale (Michigan), Jim Leonhard (Broncos), Ephraim Banda (Browns), Jim O’Neil (Lions), DeMarcus Covington (Packers), Daronte Jones (Vikings) and Mathieu Araujo (Dolphins) interviewed for the position.
Harris was reported as being likely to interview to keep the job, one he took on after the Steve Wilks firing, and Martindale came up as a candidate as well. The Jets submitted an interview request for Jones. Otherwise, their actions have been pretty quiet on this front.
Entering his rookie season as a head coach, Aaron Glenn tapped the experienced Wilks as his first defensive coordinator. The decision worked out so poorly that Glenn gave Wilks the ax in mid-December. Wilks lost his job the day after a 48-20 blowout loss to the Jaguars in Week 15.
The results didn’t necessarily improve in three games under Harris, who opened 2025 as the team’s defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator. With Harris taking over for Wilks, the Jets surrendered a combined 106 points in losses to the Saints, Patriots and Bills.
Although Buffalo rested most of its key offensive players in Week 18, its Mitchell Trubisky-quarterbacked offense still teed off on the Jets for 470 total yards and 35 points. The Jets didn’t pick off Trubisky in that game, clinching an interception-less season for their defense. They became the first team to achieve that ignominious feat. While Harris is at least receiving consideration for a promotion to the full-time job, it would be a surprise to see the Jets choose him over the rest of the field.
Nobody from this octet carries more experience than the 62-year-old Martindale, most recently a D-coordinator at Michigan over the past two seasons. He has been a DC in the NFL for three teams – the Broncos (2010), the Ravens (2018-21) and the Giants (2022-23). Martindale’s Giants tenure ended after a rift with then-head coach Brian Daboll. The two got into a fiery confrontation before parting ways.
O’Neil and Covington join Martindale as former D-coordinators in the NFL. A defensive assistant in Detroit since 2024, O’Neil handled DC duties in Cleveland from 2014-15 and in San Francisco in 2016. He’s also a former Jets coach, having worked in multiple roles under Rex Ryan from 2009-12. Covington was the Patriots’ DC in 2024 under one-and-done head coach Jerod Mayo. He’s now the Packers’ defensive line coach and run game coordinator.
An NFL safety from 2005-2014, Leonhard spent three seasons as a member of Ryan’s defense in New York. The 43-year-old started his coaching career with Wisconsin in 2016. He worked as the Badgers’ DC from 2017-22.
Leonhard is now in his second season with the Broncos, who hired him as a defensive backs coach and pass game coordinator last year. Sean Payton promoted Leonhard to assistant head coach this season.
With the top-seeded Broncos chasing a championship, Leonhard may be a few weeks away from earning a Super Bowl ring as a key part of their staff. He’s also on the Cowboys’ radar as they search for a new D-coordinator.
Banda and Jones are also in the mix for the Dallas job. Previously a college DC at Miami and Utah State, Banda has been the Browns’ safeties coach since 2023. He fulfilled his interview request with the Cowboys today, too, according to Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com.
Jones, LSU’s coordinator in 2021, has coached in the pros with the Dolphins, Bengals and Vikings since 2016. He started his second Vikings stint in 2022 and has worked as a defensive pass game coordinator under DC Brian Flores since 2023. Flores, whose contract has expired, could leave for another job as a head coach or an assistant. If that happens, the Vikings may promote Jones to replace Flores.
Araujo was on the Yale staff before then-Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel hired him as an assistant DBs coach in 2022. He spent the past two seasons as Miami’s cornerbacks coach, but Araujo’s future is uncertain in the wake of McDaniel’s firing. If the Jets don’t hire Araujo and the Dolphins’ next head coach doesn’t retain him, he’ll have to look elsewhere in 2026.
Along with failing to record an INT, the Jets finished the year a lowly 25th in total defense and 31st in scoring. Their next defensive coordinator will have his work cut out in improving the unit, especially after the Jets traded cornerstone lineman Quinnen Williams and cornerback Sauce Gardner before the Nov. 4 deadline. The Jets received a haul of picks in those deals, though, and they’ll enter the offseason with a hefty amount of cap space. Between their draft capital and spending room, Glenn and general manager Darren Mougey will be in position to give the team’s next defensive coordinator more to work with in 2026.
Connor Byrne contributed to this post.
Vance Joseph ‘Strong Candidate’ For Cardinals’ HC Job?
With John Harbaugh appearing to be out of the mix, other dominoes should soon start to fall on the HC market. But the Cardinals were not viewed as a serious contender for the longtime Ravens leader’s services. Their search should not be affected much by the Giants’ expected hire.
Arizona has 13 other names in this race. One of them would be a familiar hire. Vance Joseph was the Cardinals’ defensive coordinator for four seasons under Kliff Kingsbury, and 9News’ Mike Klis notes the current Broncos DC is expected to become a strong candidate for the Cards’ top job. Joseph has a strong relationship with Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill, per Klis.
Joseph has gained steam during his third season back in Denver. The Cardinals initially hired Joseph after the Broncos fired him as their head coach, and Joseph coached the likes of Patrick Peterson, J.J. Watt and Zach Allen in Arizona. One of those seasons included a playoff berth (2021) despite Watt missing most of it and Peterson having defected to the Vikings in free agency. Joseph’s Arizona tenure produced two top-12 defenses (2020, ’21) but ended on a down note, with the Cards ranking 31st in 2022.
Joseph, 53, interviewed for the Cards’ HC job in 2023 but lost out to Jonathan Gannon. That led him back to Denver under Sean Payton, and the move has paid off for both sides. Denver enters the divisional round as the AFC’s No. 1 seed, and Joseph’s defense finished the regular season ranked third in points for a second straight year. Joseph has overseen Allen’s rise into a first-team All-Pro, after second-team honors came the interior D-lineman’s way in 2024, and Patrick Surtain‘s 2024 Defensive Player of the Year campaign looks good on the second-chance HC option’s resume.
Joseph has also interviewed for the Falcons, Ravens, Raiders, Giants and Titans’ HC jobs. The Cardinals would be making an interesting move by going defense-defense with their past two HC hires if they choose Joseph, but that scenario appears firmly in play. Joseph’s candidacy will partially be determined by how far the Broncos’ season extends. He will be free to interview in-person anywhere next week if the Bills eliminate the Broncos, but if Denver wins, he cannot conduct an in-person interview until the Super Bowl bye week.
Via PFR’s HC Search Tracker, here is how Arizona’s process stands as of Thursday afternoon:
- Thomas Brown, tight ends coach (Patriots): Interview requested
- Matt Burke, defensive coordinator (Texans): Interview requested
- Jeff Hafley, defensive coordinator (Packers): Interviewed 1/14
- John Harbaugh, former head coach (Ravens): Contacted
- Vance Joseph, defensive coordinator (Broncos): Interviewed 1/10
- Klint Kubiak, offensive coordinator (Seahawks): Interviewed 1/10
- Mike LaFleur, offensive coordinator (Rams): To interview
- Jesse Minter, defensive coordinator (Chargers): Interviewed 1/13
- Raheem Morris, former head coach (Falcons): To interview
- Matt Nagy, offensive coordinator (Chiefs): Interviewed 1/9
- Robert Saleh, defensive coordinator (49ers): To interview
- Chris Shula, defensive coordinator (Rams): Interview requested
- Arthur Smith, offensive coordinator (Steelers): Interview requested
- Anthony Weaver, defensive coordinator (Dolphins): Interviewed 1/9
Minor NFL Transactions: 1/13/26
Four playoff teams made minor moves on Tuesday. Here’s a look:
Denver Broncos
- Designated for return from IR: TE Lucas Krull
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed from practice squad: OLB Nick Hampton
San Francisco 49ers
- Placed on IR: TE George Kittle (story)
- Signed from practice squad: TE Brayden Willis
Seattle Seahawks
- Designated for return from IR: ILB Chazz Surratt
In the wake of Kittle’s season-ending Achilles tear, the 49ers are calling on Willis to serve as depth behind Jake Tonges and Luke Farrell. Willis, a 2023 seventh-round pick from Oklahoma, has appeared in 23 games with the 49ers in three seasons. He played in six of the 49ers’ regular-season contests in 2025 and logged 98 of his 111 snaps on special teams.
Surratt, who suffered an ankle injury in Week 12, missed the Seahawks’ last six games of the regular season. He got an extra week to recover after top-seeded Seattle earned a first-round bye in the playoffs. With the Seahawks preparing to host the 49ers in a divisional round matchup Saturday, Surratt could return to action. The 28-year-old wasn’t a factor on defense in the regular season, but he posted a 40% snap share on special teams. Surratt finished second among Seahawks special teamers in tackles (11).
Broncos S Brandon Jones Undergoes Surgery; C Luke Wattenberg In Play To Return
While some injured Broncos are likely to return for the team’s divisional-round Bills matchup, two others will not. Brandon Jones and Luke Wattenberg are on IR. Wattenberg cannot come back until at least the AFC championship game. Jones is eligible to return now, but he is not expected to do so.
The Denver safety starter underwent pectoral surgery, according to 9News’ Mike Klis. Although Klis keeps the door open to a potential Super Bowl LX reemergence for Jones, Sean Payton said later (via the Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson) the sixth-year veteran is unlikely to play again this season.
Jones suffered a pec injury during the Broncos’ Week 15 win over the Packers. Jones sat out the final three regular-season games, and with the Broncos booking the AFC’s bye, he would have been eligible to be activated from IR this week. But that will not happen.
The Broncos have used Jones as a starter since giving him a three-year, $20MM deal in free agency in 2024. The ex-Dolphin has played well in Denver, teaming with 2025 FA pickup Talanoa Hufanga. P.J. Locke, who teamed with Jones as a starter last season, is now working alongside Hufanga — whom the AP named a second-team All-Pro last week.
A better piece of Broncos injury news comes along their offensive line. Wattenberg is in play to return if the No. 1 seed reaches the AFC championship game, Klis adds. Wattenberg suffered a shoulder injury against the Jaguars in Week 16. Because of Denver booking a first-round bye, he would be allowed to return after only missing three games — as opposed to the usual four required with an IR placement.
Wattenberg has been the Broncos’ center starter for the past two seasons; the team gave the Lloyd Cushenberry successor a four-year, $48MM extension during its bye week. The Broncos have turned to 2023 seventh-round pick Alex Forsyth as their Wattenberg fill-in. Forsyth, who snapped to QB Bo Nix at Oregon during the 2022 season, is the only rookie contract along Denver’s O-line — which has veterans Garett Bolles, Ben Powers, Quinn Meinerz and Mike McGlinchey all signed through at least 2026. Wattenberg’s deal runs through 2029.
Payton called J.K. Dobbins “close” to returning, though the veteran running back — who is rehabbing a Lisfranc injury — did not see his practice window opened today. Previously, a Super Bowl appearance was viewed as the requirement for a Dobbins comeback timeline to make sense. Defenders Dre Greenlaw and John Franklin-Myers, however, returned to practice after missing time. Greenlaw, whose first Broncos season has been filled with various maladies, is returning from a hamstring issue. Franklin-Myers, who sits as the Broncos’ highest-profile 2026 free agent after not receiving an extension, is battling a strained hip sustained in Week 17, per Klis. Greenlaw was limited Tuesday, while Franklin-Myers practiced fully.
Extension For GM George Paton On Broncos’ Radar?
The Broncos have drawn a rather difficult assignment for a No. 1 seed in a divisional round, entering their playoff opener as underdogs to the No. 6-seeded Bills. Regardless of that game’s result, however, the team has completed a remarkable turnaround considering the past two years have seen a record-setting dead money bill (from the Russell Wilson release) appear on its cap sheets.
Denver has recovered from both the Wilson trade and extension and the regrettable 2022 Nathaniel Hackett hire to go 14-3 and book its first No. 1 seed since 2015. Sean Payton replaced Hackett effectively, and while the high-profile head coach is the Broncos’ top decision-maker now, GM George Paton remains a central part of the team’s operation. Paton was in the GM chair for the Hackett and Wilson decisions, making his status on this resurgent team impressive considering he had no past with Payton prior to engineering the 2023 trade for the HC’s rights.
[RELATED: Assessing Extensions’ Impact On Broncos’ Turnaround]
Installed as Broncos GM when John Elway kicked stepped down in January 2021, Paton is on a six-year contract. He will enter a lame-duck year in 2026, but ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler points to an extension being on the Broncos’ radar. Fowler indicates signs point to Paton remaining in Denver. It would take an extension for that to happen, but considering the success the Broncos have attained despite Wilson counting $32MM on their 2025 cap, it would surprise if the Payton-Paton tandem separated.
Rumblings about Payton bringing in someone he was more familiar with circulated in 2023, but nothing has come out about a potential split since. The Broncos secured a second straight playoff berth this season, going 14-3, and Paton’s extensions and draft picks have been a key part of this equation. Paton’s first draft (2021) brought Patrick Surtain, Quinn Meinerz and Jonathon Cooper to Denver; all have since been extended. The GM’s second draft lacked a first-round pick (thanks to the disastrous Wilson trade), but Nik Bonitto arrived in Round 2. Denver’s most notable draft choice during this period, Bo Nix, is tied more to Payton. But Paton engineered the route to land the Oregon prospect at No. 12, closing out a six-QB first round.
The Broncos extended Surtain, Meinerz and Cooper in 2024 and paid Bonitto, Zach Allen and Courtland Sutton this offseason. Sutton earned his second Pro Bowl nod this season, while Allen and Meinerz were first-team All-Pros. The Broncos have most of these players on team-friendly extensions, with Paton finalizing extensions for Surtain before his Defensive Player of the Year season and Meinerz before his 2024 All-Pro cameo.
Were the Broncos and Paton to split, Fowler adds the veteran exec — previously the Vikings’ assistant GM — would become a coveted GM candidate. Paton, who had withdrawn his name from the Browns’ GM search in 2020, was given time to turn things around in Denver. Now that he has, he has done well to restore his reputation with the Broncos and around the league.
NFL Appeals Portion Of Brian Flores Lawsuit To SCOTUS
A portion of Brian Flores’ lawsuit against the NFL and a handful of its clubs may be heading to the United States Supreme Court. Per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the league has filed a petition for writ of certiorari with SCOTUS in an effort to keep all of Flores’ claims in arbitration rather than open court.
In August, Flores’ claims against the league and three teams – the Broncos, the Giants, and the Texans – were allowed to proceed to court rather than remain in arbitration. In affirming that decision and ruling against the NFL, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals reasoned that Flores never signed contracts with mandatory arbitration language with those clubs (the basis for his claims against those three teams is that they allegedly conducted sham head coaching interviews to comply with the Rooney Rule).
On the other hand, because Flores and co-Plaintiffs Steve Wilks and Ray Horton had signed contracts with the Dolphins, Cardinals, and Titans, respectively, and because those deals included a mandatory arbitration provision, the claims against that trio of teams remained in the purview of Peter Harvey, the arbitrator whom commissioner Roger Goodell appointed.
The NFL sought a rehearing of the Second Circuit’s decision – originally made by a three-judge panel – before the court’s full 13-judge bench, but that request was denied. Left with no other alternative, the league is now seeking review from the highest court in the land.
Of course, the Supreme Court grants only a small fraction of the petitions for writ of certiorari it receives each year. The NFL has presented the following question for review:
Whether an arbitration agreement governing disputes in a professional sports league is categorically unenforceable under the Federal Arbitration Act because it designates the league commissioner as the default arbitrator and permits the commissioner to develop arbitral procedures.
By narrowing the scope of the question to professional sports leagues, the league is allowing the court – if it chooses to hear the case – to narrow the scope of its eventual holding in the same way. In other words, even if the court rules in the league’s favor, it would not necessarily be greenlighting CEOs of all industries to preside over arbitration claims involving their companies in the same way that Goodell (or his designee) has presided over arbitration claims involving the NFL.
The NFL’s petition will further delay any trial or hearing on the merits of the suit, which Flores initiated nearly four years ago. In the meantime, Flores’ coaching career is still going strong.
The 44-year-old just finished a successful three-year run as the Vikings’ defensive coordinator, and now that he is out of contract, he and Minnesota are discussing a new deal. Though he has been mentioned as a candidate for the Raiders’ head coaching vacancy, only the Ravens have put in a formal HC interview request as of the time of this writing.