When Drake Maye and Russell Wilson were added to the AFC’s Pro Bowl roster on Tuesday as replacements, Denver Broncos fans quickly wondered why quarterback Bo Nix didn’t get in above them.
It turns out Nix was invited to the Pro Bowl as a fourth alternate in the AFC, but he turned down the offer due to a minor procedure, according to KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis.
The Klis story says it was a “routine and minor, cleanup procedure,” but his source did not reveal which part of Nix’s body received the treatment. Nix did play through three transverse process fractures last season, but Klis reports that the pre-planned procedure was not related to the back injury.
Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert and C.J. Stroud were all unavailable or opted out of the Pro Bowl, so Nix was next in line. After Nix opted out, Joe Burrow is now the AFC’s top QB left with Wilson and Maye added to the squad behind him.
Nix is the second Bronco to decline an alternate nod, joining guard Quinn Meinerz. After being invited as a first alternate, Meinerz turned it down because he did not want to participate as a replacement lineman.
The AFC squad will be coached by Peyton Manning in skills competitions on Jan. 30 (ESPN) and a flag football game on Feb. 2 (ESPN/ABC).
