The Denver Broncos trading for Jaylen Waddle could go down as one of the biggest moves any team will have made for the 2026 season. The Broncos are clearly embracing this Super Bowl window, and they'd be fools not to.
After a quiet start to free agency in March, many in Broncos Country had fairly wondered if the team had any intentions of making a needle-moving acquisition or signing. It felt like the front office was comfortable running it back with many of the same players.
And while that is true to a degree, there aren't many other players in the NFL right now who are as explosive and as consistent a separator as Waddle has been throughout his entire career. Denver was recently given a lower grade for the trade, and there's also something else that fans might take an issue with.
Denver Broncos given a lower grade for the Jaylen Waddle trade, but there's more...
Seth Walder and Ben Solak of ESPN dove into the Waddle trade and gave each team a grade, and subtly took a bit of a jab at Bo Nix:
"Broncos grade: B-
Dolphins grade: B+
The Broncos have a limited window. Before we get into the Waddle of it all, I think that's the critical piece of context from Denver's side. In Bo Nix, the team has a solid-but-not-great quarterback who is supported by an excellent offensive line and very good defense. Those are not the kind of teams that can sustain contention forever. But they were a real contender last year, coming up just short of the Super Bowl after Nix's playoff-ending ankle injury .
For a chance to contend again in 2026, Denver needed another playmaker for Nix and that offense. Their No. 1 wide receiver entering Tuesday was Courtland Sutton, who is underrated but turns 31 in October. And after him, the depth chart was quite barren with Troy Franklin, Pat Bryant and Marvin Mims Jr. -- all players with some potential but none near a certainty...
Now, is Waddle worth this whole package, which ESPN's draft pick valuations rates as the equivalent of a mid-first-round pick? If the Broncos don't sign him to a new contract, I can see the argument.
At the moment, Waddle is due just $17.2 million in 2026, $24 million in 2027 and $27.4 million in 2028. That's well below market for a 27-year-old receiver of his caliber, and it makes a big difference compared to other veteran trades where a team gives up a draft pick for the right to pay market price. I'm always hesitant about premier draft capital for veterans, but given the contract, the position and the limited contention window for Denver, I can see why they did this."
The first blurb here is something that fans could take issue with. They called Nix a 'solid-but-not-great' quarterback being propped up by the offensive line and defense. There are some issues with this statement.
First off, Nix cemented himself as one of the most clutch, perhaps the most clutch, quarterbacks in the NFL in 2025. The Broncos quarterback had led seven game-winning drives, which led the league, and also had five fourth-quarter comebacks.
Where Nix was great was his late-game heroics and overall ability to run the offense, which was a night-and-day difference from his rookie season. He also used his legs when necessary and is better than most quarterbacks as a runner.
He was only sacked 22 times last year, and his overall ability to avoid sacks has been among the best in the NFL among starting quarterbacks. I am not sure why Nix isn't great. Some may go straight to the raw passing production, but the Broncos also struggled more than most teams dropping the ball. Pro Football Reference credited Denver with a whopping 43 drops in 2025.
Had those drops even been cut in half, Nix's raw passing production looks a lot closer to 'great.' To me, and perhaps others, it's rather baseless to call Nix a 'solid' quarterback. He took a step forward from 2024 into 2025 and does multiple things at a 'great' level, but was dealing with some below-average playmakers his first two seasons.
And this is where Waddle comes into the mix. The Broncos, funnily enough, needed a player precisely with Waddle's skillset. His ability as a raw separator, being able to line up in the slot or outside, and also having a thorough route tree fits this offense like a glove.
Others have also mentioned that adding Waddle to the mix does 'drop' the other Broncos receivers down a slot in the depth chart, which best fits their skillsets. Courtland Sutton, at this point in his career, is best suited as a No. 2 player, and Troy Franklin could thrive in more of a WR3 role.
Not only that, but Denver's first-round pick was the 30th overall selection this year, and in a class lacking first-round talent, the odds that the 30th overall pick comes even close to being as impactful as Waddle is feels rather low.
Sure, the Broncos getting a B- grade is 100 percent subjective, but thiss was the type of A-level trade that the team needed to make.
The offense was missing a player like Waddle, and this trade was made because the front office believes in Nix and this Super Bowl window. A 'solid' quarterback does help his team to 14 wins and perhaps even a Super Bowl berth without a broken ankle.
And a front office isn't going to make this move if they only thought Nix was 'solid.'