The Denver Broncos showed they were all-in on chasing a Super Bowl when they traded their 2026 1st-round pick for Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle on March 17.
It was a move that probably could have put the Broncos in the Super Bowl in 2025 after they balked at paying that same price for Waddle at the trade deadline, only to see it backfire on them when their receivers vanished into thin air in an AFC Championship Game loss to the New England Patriots.
Making the move for Waddle symbolizes the Broncos learning and evolving, and ESPN’s Matt Bowen put it at the top of his list of the NFL’s “Most Impactful” offseason moves as the Broncos report to training camp on Tuesday.
“Waddle’s route tree meshes well with the throwing traits of Broncos quarterback Bo Nix,” Bowen wrote on July 28. “He can run the post, the in-breakers and the shallows. Waddle averaged 14.2 yards per catch last season — including 14 receptions of 20 or more yards — and he topped the 1,000-yard receiving mark in three of his five seasons in Miami. He’ll bring more speed and juice alongside wide receiver Courtland Sutton in the Broncos’ pass game.”
Broncos Trade Shook Up NFL Following Free Agency
The NFL’s wild spending spree in free agency this year didn’t include the Broncos, who were saving their powder to make a move for Waddle — a deal that came 8 days after the start of free agency on March 9.
“Broncos are trading for Miami WR Jaylen Waddle, per source,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote on March 17. “Denver receives: Waddle and Dolphins’ 4th-round pick (11th in round) in this year’s draft. Miami receives: Broncos’ 1st round pick (30th overall) along with their late 3rd and 4th round picks (30th in each round) in this year’s draft.”
It’s a seismic move for the Broncos, who addressed their biggest offseason concern by trading for Waddle.
“I absolutely love this for Denver,” ESPN analyst and former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky said. ” … they needed a true wide receiver with speed, and there’s Jaylen Waddle. Huge pickup for Denver.”
Denver had been criticized for being the only team not to sign any outside free agents through the 1st week of NFL free agency.
“Splash: The Broncos are pulling off a post-free agency blockbuster by trading for Dolphins star WR Jaylen Waddle,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport wrote on his official X account. “Premium draft pick compensation is headed to Miami. The two teams started talking last year at the trade deadline and kept working. Now, a deal.”
Broncos Almost Traded for Jaylen Waddle in 2025
The Broncos almost made a blockbuster trade for Waddle at the 2025 trade deadline but balked at the price. It’s fair to say making that move might have ended up being the difference between the Broncos making it to the Super Bowl.
In a 10-7 home loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game, the Broncos were in desperate need of a downfield threat. That could have been Waddle.
“The Broncos and a few other teams reached out to — and monitored — the Dolphins about WR Jaylen Waddle, but no deal will get done,” NFL insider Jordan Schultz wrote on his official X account. “Miami’s asking price was simply too high, per sources.”
Waddle has been one of the NFL’s best wide receivers since his rookie season and signed a 3-year, $84.75 million contract extension in March 2024. In 5 NFL seasons, Waddle has had over 1,000 receiving yards 3 times, including 75 receptions for a career-high 1,356 receiving yards and 9 touchdowns in 2022.
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