When the Denver Broncos first traded for wide receiver Jaylen Waddle from the Miami Dolphins, the immediate thoughts were on how this would impact the stock and role of Troy Franklin after his breakout 2025 season. After general manager George Paton put trade rumors to rest and affirmed the importance of Franklin on the team, eyes shifted towards receiver and All-Pro return man Marvin Mims Jr., who is entering the final year of his rookie contract with the Broncos.
Mims has been vital to Denver for the past two years, stretching the field with his speed, providing elite return abilities, and routinely making absurdly clutch catches with the game on the line. Whether it was his touchdown as time expired against the Bengals, his major catch on the sideline in Denver's 33-point fourth quarter against the Giants, or especially his last-minute touchdown against the Bills in the 2025 AFC Divisional Round, Mims has stepped up every time the Broncos have asked him to.
Still, he does not have a defined role in head coach Sean Payton's offense. That could always change with the shift in play-calling duties the Broncos announced at the end of their playoff run, but there aren't any guarantees that offensive coordinator Davis Webb sees Mims differently from Payton.
Mims would have every reason to be upset and to be asking for something new from the Broncos, but instead, his quotes to the media have remained optimistic. One quote specifically shows just how Mims feels about this Broncos team, but not in the way you might think.
Marvin Mims made it very clear that the Denver Broncos are expecting a fourth Lombardi trophy after the 2026 season
When asked about the arrival of Waddle and his impact on this Broncos' team, Mims gave an honest assessment of himself as a player, but also went as far as to put hefty expectations on the team as a whole:
"For me, it’s just answering the door when the bell is rung,” he said. “I feel like I’ve done that pretty well the past three years, but when I get my opportunities, make the most of it. Be a good teammate and assist the team in however many ways they want. This year, the team we have, the roster we have, how far we went last year, we’re all expecting a Super Bowl this year. …
We all want to take that next step this year, and we need people that are willing to be selfless and put their best foot forward, no matter what it looks like, and try to get us back to that next level."
- Broncos WR Marvin Mims (via The Denver Post)
Mims is one of the more underrated players on the Broncos, but he also clearly suffers the most from the addition of Waddle to the team. Mims was Denver's lone deep threat with elite speed, and it was fairly apparent that he feels a changing role is coming his way, entering his first contract year in the NFL. It would be easy for Mims to go off on the team, pulling the "no one believes in me " card, but instead, he has decided to remain positive and put the team first.
Ironically, this is exactly the type of quote the Broncos want to be reading from a player who could easily be demanding a trade or running the team through the mud right now. If the Broncos are going to compete for a Lombardi, they are going to need a team-first approach, and Mims' backing the roster while saying he feels the team is built to win a ring might be the ultimate praise he could offer the 2026 Broncos.
If Denver is going to win a ring this year, Marvin Mims is going to be a big part of the equation. His role might look different from what it has in the three years prior, but he is going to leave a major impact on this team one way or another.
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