The Denver Broncos knew it was going to be aggressive in pursuit of an offensive playmaker if the opportunity presented itself.
The Denver Broncos made a long-awaited splash move for an offensive playmaker in mid-March after a quiet but productive free agency.
The Broncos were yearning for a game-breaking player that could help elevate the offense despite going 14-3 and making it to the American Football Conference Championship. Denver’s defense was the reason it made it so far, while the offense was middling and would go stagnant, especially during the first half and oftentimes the first three quarters before turning it on in the fourth quarter.
The Broncos offense, led by head coach Sean Payton, became a pass-heavy one after losing running back J.K. Dobbins to injury during Week 10. It will probably be more balanced under new play-caller and offensive coordinator Davis Webb, but if Dobbins (who was re-signed during the quiet but productive free agency) gets hurt again and backup running back RJ Harvey doesn’t take the strides necessary to earn more carries, expect the Broncos to air it out at a high clip again in 2026.
The reason the Broncos had a quiet free agency aside from re-signing several key players was because the organization was waiting for the right opportunity to get aggressive. Owner/CEO Greg Penner spoke about being opportunistically aggressive just days after losing to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship and recently talked about trading for star wide receiver Jaylen Waddle and why he thinks he’s a perfect fit for the team.
“We love the guys that we have in our locker room and on our team,” Penner said to the media at the National Football League Annual Meeting last week. "It's a strong core and a really good fit. The bar was high if we were going to go get someone in free agency that we thought could be a better addition.
“The opportunistic part was when we saw something to take a big swing [on], we were going to be willing to take a big swing. That is what we did with the Waddle trade.”
The Broncos loved what it saw from Waddle, who notched 1,000-yard receiving seasons in his first three seasons and established himself as an elite yards-after-catch (YAC) receiver that can go up and get it with the best of them. He has 373 receptions for 5,039 yards and 26 touchdowns in 78 career games.
“We think that he has all the aspects that are important to us," said Penner. "Obviously, he is a tremendous playmaker but also a great locker room guy. He has grit, professionalism and a high level of intellectual-ness around football and his performance.”
Waddle will line up opposite star WR Courtland Sutton and give quarterback Bo Nix another reliable weapon in an effort to not only get back to the AFC Championship but advance to the Super Bowl and win it for the first time since 2015.