The Denver Broncos are already a week into training camp, and Sean Payton is already sounding like a guy who knows he just pulled off a heist.
Jaylen Waddle arrived in a trade this offseason from the Miami Dolphins, and the head coach didn’t exactly hold back when asked about the wide receiver’s impact. Payton’s description? Waddle can “walk on water.” Not bad for a guy who’s only been running routes in orange and blue for a few weeks.
What Payton sees in Waddle
Payton went into more detail during a press conference covered by The Denver Gazette. He said, “He’s one of those players relative to how he runs, how he stops and his competitive instincts. There is a clear vision for him. I think the knowledge we had with all the other pieces relative to a trade like that was important.”
That’s coach-speak for: we knew what we were doing, and we’re thrilled it worked out. The Broncos sent a 2026 first-round pick (which the Jets used on Omar Cooper), a third-rounder (Chris Bell), and a fourth-rounder (Trey Moore) to the Dolphins in exchange for Waddle and a 2026 fourth-rounder (Kage Casey). It’s a lot of draft capital, but Denver clearly thinks Waddle is worth it.
Waddle put up 64 catches for 910 yards and six touchdowns last season in Miami, and that was in an offense that already featured Tyreek Hill and a rotating set of quarterbacks. Now he’s got a chance to be the top target for whoever wins the Broncos’ quarterback battle this summer. The team hasn’t officially named a starter yet, but candidates like Bo Nix and Jarrett Stidham are competing in camp.
Payton’s bigger picture
Payton also made it clear he’s not thinking small this season. When asked if the Broncos are contenders, he said, “I think you have to play good defense to be one of those teams. You have to get good quarterback play. You have to be good on the offensive and defensive lines. You have to be well coached. I think we’re all of the above.”
That’s a pretty confident statement for a team that went 14–3 last season and finished on top of the AFC West. But Payton’s been around long enough to know that regular-season wins don’t mean much without a playoff run to back them up. Waddle gives them a legitimate deep threat opposite Courtland Sutton, and that could make a real difference in January.
The Broncos kick off their preseason schedule on August 14 against the Atlanta Falcons. That’ll be the first real look at how Waddle fits into Payton’s system. If the early reviews are any indication, it might be a long season for opposing secondaries.
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