Broncos Star Confident Denver Would've Won AFCCG with Bo Nix

Much like his Denver Broncos teammate Courtland Sutton, star cornerback Patrick Surtain II said the quiet part aloud when it came to the team's 10-7 loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship.

Would the game have turned out differently with a healthy Bo Nix — rather than backup Jarrett Stidham — starting at quarterback?

"Yeah, yeah. No doubt," Surtain told FanDuel's Kay Adams earlier this week at the pre-Super Bowl 60 festivities. "Obviously, when a guy like Bo goes down, there's some effect. 'Stiddy' [Stidham] did a great job preparing all week, the best he could. It's tough for anybody to go in that position, expecting them to have the game of their life."

"But with Bo, I think he's going to bounce back even harder. He's going to attack the rehab. He's going to get better from this."

Broncos stars Nik Bonitto and Pat Surtain II on their heartbreaking AFC Championship loss and how they're using it as motivation 👀@nikkkkbonitto | @PatSurtainll | @heykayadams pic.twitter.com/J1V0pim0HH
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) February 3, 2026

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As is common knowledge at this juncture, Nix suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Denver's Divisional Round upset of the Buffalo Bills, forcing Stidham under center for the club's biggest contest in over a decade.

Considering how Nix played the week prior (three touchdown passes) and how Stidham fared in his stead (two turnovers), it's fair to wonder — if not assume —the Broncos would've mustered more than seven points in an extremely winnable environment.

Instead of talking about The Big Game, the assumption posits, they should've been participating in it.

"You'll drive yourself crazy sitting there thinking about the what ifs, and so, I eventually got over the what ifs," Sutton told Guerilla Sports earlier this week. "But I haven't got over the situation. I told my boy, I said maybe after the game I'll get over it. Once the Super Bowl ends, I'll get over it. But the best of luck to both those teams going out there performing, doing their thing. You know, everyone knows the Broncos should've been in there, but it's alright."

PS2 — Jan 4, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II (2) reacts to his tackle during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Motivation Fuel

While it'd be easy for Broncos players to wallow in their misery — as Sutton said, pondering the what-ifs — that doesn't seem like the consensus feeling among those who've spoke out publicly in the days since the AFC title game defeat.

Take outside linebacker Nik Bonitto, who explained to Adams that Denver's defeat did nothing but put a massive chip on their collective shoulders, fueling them to scale even bigger heights in 2026.

"I think we all knew in the locker room we could be a championship team," Bonitto said. "The fact that we were that close is definitely going to motivate us to work even harder and get back there — and this time, not just be in the AFC Championship Game, but win it. I think we'll definitely have that type of chip where we'll want to be better."