Who Should I Start? Geno Smith or Bo Nix

Wednesday, December 31, 3:41 PM

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll said that quarterback Geno Smith (ankle) will not play on Sunday against the division-rival Kansas City Chiefs in the Week 18 regular-season finale, according to Ryan McFadden of ESPN. "I hate closing the door on any opportunity, but it's going to be really hard for him," Carroll said. Smith suffered a serious ankle injury in the Week 17 loss to the New York Giants and won't suit up for a meaningless contest to close out the regular season. With the 35-year-old veteran wrapping up a brutal first year in the desert, backup Kenny Pickett is expected to start this weekend. Aidan O'Connell could also end up splitting time with Pickett against KC. Smith was one of the worst starting QBs in football in 2025, completing 67.4% of his 448 pass attempts for 3,205 yards, 19 touchdowns, and a league-leading 17 interceptions in 15 starts.

Saturday, January 17, 9:23 PM

Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (ankle) suffered a broken bone in his ankle during Saturday's Divisional Round win over the Buffalo Bills, according to head coach Sean Payton. Nix has been ruled out for the remainder of the playoffs. This is shocking news out of Denver, as Nix's injury wasn't immediately evident during the Broncos' overtime win. Payton said that the second-year quarterback suffered the injury on the second-to-last play of the game, finishing the contest with a 56.5% completion rate, 279 passing yards, 29 rushing yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. This is a crushing loss for the Broncos, who can credit Nix as one of the main reasons why they finished with the best record in the AFC and advanced to the conference title game. His absence will force the Broncos to start Jarrett Stidham next Sunday against either the Patriots or Texans. Stidham's last NFL pass attempt came in 2023, when he threw for 272 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in a loss to the Raiders. The short-term implications of Nix's broken bone are massive. From a long-term perspective, though, he should make a full recovery in time for Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season.