The Denver Broncos adding Jaylen Waddle in a trade proves that now, more than ever, this team is all-in for the foreseeable future, and it's a great thing. Denver did need a player of his caliber to finally get the offense in a good spot.
With many of the same weapons returning and the same five offensive line starters coming back, the continuity on offense, hard-nosed culture, and a new play-caller could make things flourish in 2026 and beyond. The Broncos trading for Waddle also does right by Bo Nix, the team's quarterback who constantly had to 'carry' the team to victory time and time again in 2025.
Well, let's focus on the defensive side of the ball, as the Broncos do have a vacancy at the other defensive end spot. John Franklin-Myers departed in free agency for the Tennessee Titans in an extremely expected move. Denver should again look to the free agency market to fill this void, and they should pursue someone who could end up enjoying a homecoming.
The Denver Broncos should sign Calais Campbell and bring him home for 2026
Born in Denver, Calais Campbell has been in the NFL since 2008, so he'd be set to play in his age-40 season in 2026, which would also be his 19th in the NFL. Likely a Hall of Famer, Campbell has spent time with the Arizona Cardinals, Jacksonville Jaguars, Baltimore Ravens, Atlanta Falcons, and Miami Dolphins.
He has actually not missed a start in the past three seasons and has a whopping 278 regular-season games of experience. Heck, he was still quite good in 2025, too. In 17 games for the Cardinals, Campbell had 6.5 sacks, 43 total tackles, nine tackles for loss, and 16 quarterback hits.
His best days are very obviously behind him, but this is still a starting-caliber player. Campbell has had double-digit quarterback hits in all but two seasons of his career. Back in 2017, he enjoyed the best season of his career, racking up 14.5 sacks, 14 tackles for loss, and 30 quarterback hits with the Jaguars.
The neat thing here is that, like Waddle on offense, Campbell would fit right in on defense. He's get to play on the best pass-rushing defensive line in the NFL and one of the three-best units in the league. You'd have to fairly assume that Campbell wants to 'chase' a Super Bowl ring but also wants to rack up as many statistics as he possibly could if he plans on making 2026 his final year.
The Broncos do have a lot to offer for veteran free agents, especially on defense. Campbell could find some appeal in finally playing for his hometown team, and I would guess that the Broncos and Campbell could have mutual interest. The fit is there, and the win-now window is present for both team and player.
Denver potentially signing Campbell would be another slam-dunk move right after pulling off the trade of the offseason in acquiring Waddle. The Broncos doing this would also ensure the defensive line doesn't get weaker, as Franklin-Myers was a very good player.