The Denver Broncos acquired Jaylen Waddle to be their number one receiver, but he downplayed that in his first comments.
New Denver Broncos receiver Jaylen Waddle met the media in his introductory press conference yesterday, and most of it was standard fodder. Parker Gabriel of the Denver Post did the report on Waddle’s meet-and-greet, and there was one surprising comment that got buried in the half of a piece about how happy Waddle is to be reuniting with former Alabama star Pat Surtain II.
“I don’t think there’s any true No. 1 (receiver),” Waddle said. “Everybody is just here to make plays and to win. … It’s going to be a fun group. They’ve got a lot of talent. Court, Marv, Troy (Franklin), Pat, Lil’Jordan (Humphrey).
“I’m here to help in every fashion. Making plays and learning. I’m excited to learn from them and for them to learn from me. It should be fun. It should be great.”
This isn’t how this trade is being described at all. It’s being universally lauded by numerous national outfits as the move the Broncos needed to make to get a number one receiver.
The Broncos also gave up a lot to get Waddle, dealing their first-round pick along with third- and fourth-rounders while getting a fourth in return from the Miami Dolphins, and that’s not the kind of draft capital you give up to bring in a guy who’s just going to fit in and make some plays.
Waddle knew the Broncos have been after him for some time, and according to Gabriel they covet his elite speed and versatility. They had interest in trading for him at the deadline in 2025, but Denver couldn’t quite get the deal done.
“It was hearsay, so you never know what’s true and what’s not true,” Waddle said about the Broncos’ interest. “But you could say I was (aware).”
Now Waddle is in Denver, and he added that quarterback Bo Nix and several other Broncos took him to dinner to welcome him to town. There’s a lot riding on this deal for all concerned, especially coach Sean Payton and Nix. This is a win-or-die trade by a team that made it to the AFC championship this year, and anything short of a Super Bowl run is likely to generate heavy criticism of the deal.
For now, though, everyone’s doing happy talk. Gabriel’s report didn’t include comments from Payton, who will undoubtedly talk up his new playmaker. Waddle’s talk about not being a number one was probably just a throwaway bit, but it was interesting sprinkled in among the sugary comments he made after his arrival.
“It feels like home, feels like family,” Waddle said Wednesday. “Everyone has been welcoming. It’s been great.”