That's More Like It: Jaylen Waddle Meets Expectations In Broncos Win

Maybe it was a simple case of the Denver Broncos' "2026 NFL Season Alarm Clock" needing some fine-tuning? It certainly looked that way as they failed to answer the bell in Kansas City during a desultory 31-10 loss to the Chiefs in Week One. Things weren't looking much better on Sunday as they trailed 13-3 with nine minutes remaining in the third quarter of their home opener against the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars.

But with an 0-2 record looming like a nightmare, they ignored the "snooze" button and came awake over the game's final 24 minutes, outscoring the Jaguars (1-1) 17-0 to come away with a hard-fought 20-13 victory. It was definitely needed as they continue to navigate a brutal opening stretch of the 2026 season with home games against the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks sandwiched around visits to San Francisco and the LA Chargers over the next four weeks.

A sputtering start was the last thing anyone expected from the Broncos. They were, after all, coming off an appearance in the AFC Championship Game and quarterback Bo Nix was fully recovered from his late-season leg injury. They also made what many considered to be one of the signature moves of the offseason when, on March 17, they acquired receiver Jaylen Waddle from the Miami Dolphins for three 2026 draft picks, including their first-rounder (No. 30).

In fact, the move was so well-received that ESPN's Benjamin Solak put Denver No. 5 on his list of the NFL's best rosters at that point, saying it was the exact move a contending team should make.

"He's a sudden playmaker with great deep speed, and he's only 27 and comes with three years of team control. Waddle gives Denver more punch - not just for one season but for multiple years to come. Bo Nix needed a better target against zone coverage and a more dangerous YAC receiver. Terrific trade for Denver," Solak wrote in March.

The reasons for the enthusiasm of Solak and others were obvious: as one of the league's fastest receivers with the versatility to operate effectively in multiple formations, teaming him with a notoriously imaginative offensive schemer in head coach Sean Payton seemed like a match made in heaven.

Nothing in the ensuing six months occurred to dampen that enthusiasm. And on the cusp of the season, Douglas Clawson of CBS Sports made the bold prediction that Waddle would have at least 130 catches for the Broncos this season, easily eclipsing his career high of 104 with the Dolphins in his rookie year of 2021.

So, it's easy to see why Denver fans went into last Sunday with visions of Rod Smith, Demaryius Thomas and Shannon Sharpe - the top three Broncos in career receiving yards - dancing in their heads, along with the sight of Waddle teaming with Courtland Sutton, who stands No. 5 on that career-yardage list.

Then the loss Monday night in Kansas City provided a firm dose of reality. It's easy to overreact to small sample sizes, but Waddle's numbers against the Chiefs were still eyebrow-raising: three targets, one catch, two yards. Given the six-month buildup that accompanied Waddle's addition, those numbers were stunning.

But they say every week is a new season in the NFL and Sunday proved just that for Waddle and the Broncos. He started slowly again, with one catch for one yard in the first quarter, but the lid came off five minutes into the second frame when he hauled in a 49-yard pass from Nix at the Jacksonville one to set up Will Lutz's 20-yard field goal that finally got the Broncos on the board.

What followed were a number of significant catches for Waddle, the most important being third-down grabs of 14 and eight yards resulting in first downs on Denver's game-tying drive early in the fourth quarter. He then helped ice the game with a 29-yard reception on third down that moved the Broncos into Jacksonville territory and allowed them to drain the final 4:41 off the clock and wrap up the victory.

In total, Waddle finished with eight catches - five of which resulted in first downs - on 10 targets for 138 yards, the second-most ever by a Denver receiver in his first home game - and one huge sigh of relief from Broncos fans.

"It was significant," Payton said of Waddle's performance, as reported by Susanna Weir at denverbroncos.com. "You can see the explosiveness, the run after the catch. We needed it. It was good for our offense."

For his part, Waddle was just happy to contribute to the win for his new team. "It means a lot," reported Weir. "Since I came here, they've treated me like a brother since day one. Not knowing too many people on the team, they just allow me to be myself each and every day. I love going to war with them, love grinding in the dog days we had in camp so, it means a lot."

Now comes a visit from the Rams and a prime-time challenge for the Broncos and their new offensive weapon. Set your clocks for 6:20 p.m. MT on Sunday.