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ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton said Saturday that quarterback Bo Nix is on track to participate on a limited basis in the team’s minicamp next month and will be “full speed” by the time the team’s training camp begins this summer.
Nix, who suffered a fractured right ankle this past January in the Broncos' win over the Buffalo Bills in the AFC divisional round, had a second follow-up surgery on the ankle in the days before the draft. During draft weekend, Payton had termed Nix’s follow-up visit to Dr. Norman Waldrop III, who performed Nix’s initial surgery in January, in Birmingham, Alabama, a “recheck” and that there “was nothing to report.”
News of Nix's second surgery since the fracture during that visit surfaced days later. Saturday, during the Broncos' rookie minicamp, Payton offered a more specific update on Nix's progress.
"He'll be well ahead of time for training camp,'' Payton said. " … We're going to be the ones kind of holding him back if you will.''
Asked what that would mean for Nix's potential participation in the Broncos' OTA practices during the first two weeks of June or the team's mandatory minicamp in the third week of June, Payton added:
"He's going to want to push that earlier, but I'm probably, you know, we'll be smart … you'll see him probably in (the mandatory) minicamp — probably. He'll be full speed throwing, everything, in July before we get back here. He's doing good.''
Nix suffered the injury Jan. 17 during the Broncos' game-winning drive of the 33-30 overtime victory over the Bills in the AFC Divisional round. Nix had his initial surgery two days later, Jan. 19, in Birmingham.
The week after the surgery Nix had expressed an optimistic tone about his recovery with "it'll be absolutely no issue this offseason, I'll be able to actually start training back when I was going to start training so don't miss any time there. I'm going to train really hard.''
Payton said Saturday the follow-up surgery for Nix "was not a surprise'' and "we feel real good about where he's at, you guys will have a chance to see it here in a few weeks. Clearly full speed by training camp. We just want to be smart relative about holding him back a little (in OTAs and minicamp).''
Nix has been rehabbing daily at the Broncos' complex during the offseason. He has had several ankle operations, going back to high school, including one following his rookie season with the Broncos.
"He's doing great with it, the communication, none of that has been an issue,'' Payton said Saturday. "… He's good.''
Payton said the Broncos may consider bringing in an additional quarterback for OTAs and minicamp, but he believed the two other quarterbacks currently on the roster — Jarrett Stidham and Sam Ehlinger — most likely would handle the work in June.
