DENVER — The confetti has barely settled at Levi’s Stadium, but the shots are already firing from Mile High. After watching the New England Patriots unravel against the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX, Denver Broncos left tackle Garett Bolles didn’t mince words about the AFC Championship game that could have been.
His message? If Bo Nix plays, Denver punches that ticket to Santa Clara. Period.
The “What If” That Haunts Denver
The pain of watching a conference rival fumble away the Lombardi Trophy is specific. For the Broncos, New England’s collapse in the Super Bowl didn’t just signal an NFC victory; it validated a nagging locker room theory: The wrong AFC team flew to California.
Speaking on the NFL Daily podcast, Bolles stripped away the usual media-trained diplomacy. When asked point-blank if Denver drops New England with their QB1 under center, Bolles didn’t hesitate.
“Yeah,” Bolles said. “I’ll tell you this: If we had Bo Nix, it would be a different ballgame. I’m saying it would be a different outcome if we had our starting quarterback.”
The veteran tackle, who inked a massive extension to stay in Denver through 2028, highlighted exactly what the offense lacked in the AFC title game loss. It wasn’t just the arm it was the aura.
“When you lose a guy like that that’s a leader of your group… his confidence level, his swagger, his ability to run and see the open field in different ways — it’s a tough piece to lose,” Bolles added.
“If we had Bo Nix, it would be a different ballgame… I’m saying it would be a different outcome.” — Garett Bolles, Broncos Left Tackle
Nix’s Absence Loomed Large
Bolles isn’t just protecting a teammate; the numbers back him up. Since his record-shattering rookie campaign in 2024, Nix has evolved into the heartbeat of Sean Payton’s offense. His dual-threat ability forces defenses to spy him, opening lanes that simply vanished in the AFC Championship.
Without him, the Broncos’ offense stalled. With him? The tape shows a different beast. Nix trended on social media throughout the Patriots-Seahawks clash for a reason fans saw New England’s offense sputter and couldn’t help but imagine Nix scrambling for first downs and extending plays in a way the Patriots couldn’t match.
Circle The Dates: 2026 Revenge Tour
New England might hold the AFC banner for now, but the schedule makers have gifted NFL fans a swift resolution to this debate. The 2026 regular season schedule locks Denver into two massive grudge matches:
- The Rematch: Denver travels to Foxboro to face the Patriots. No neutral site. No excuses.
- The Super Bowl Proxy: Denver hosts the newly crowned champion Seattle Seahawks at Empower Field.
The Broncos can’t rewrite the 2025 postseason. But with Nix projected to return at full strength and Bolles anchoring the line, the “What If” conversation ends when the 2026 season kicks off. Until then, the Broncos have to live with the bitterest feeling in sports: knowing you were the better team, but watching someone else hoist the trophy.
