The Denver Broncos are fresh off an unexpected run to the AFC Championship Game in 2025, and had quarterback Bo Nix managed to suit up for the team’s contest against the New England Patriots, this team very well may have found its way to Super Bowl LX. Instead, the Broncos came up short, and they have spent the offseason loading up for the upcoming campaign.
The biggest move the Broncos have made over the past few months saw them pick up Jaylen Waddle in a blockbuster trade with the Miami Dolphins. Waddle will form a dynamic one-two punch at wide receiver alongside Courtland Sutton, who has been Denver’s WR1 for the past few years. However, that may change now that Waddle is in town, and Sutton made his thoughts very clear on the team’s new-look wide receiver room during OTAs earlier this week.
Courtland Sutton Dishes on Broncos’ New-Look Wide Receiver Room
After getting selected in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft, Sutton has turned himself into one of the more underrated wide receivers in the league. A big body who can make contested catches and is a major threat in the red zone, Sutton is coming off the second Pro Bowl campaign of his career in 2025, as he caught 74 passes for 1,017 yards and seven touchdowns in his second season working with Nix under center.
Behind Sutton, Denver had a plethora of secondary targets, but it struggled to find a true No. 2 option behind him. That’s where Waddle comes into play. The No. 6 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Waddle has spent much of his career working alongside Tyreek Hill, but he’s more than capable of leading an offense in the passing game. Even though Miami’s aerial attack was awful last year, Waddle still managed to catch 64 passes for 910 yards and six touchdowns.
Now, these two will team up in 2026, and on paper at least, they look to be a perfect fit for each other, as Waddle’s silky-smooth style of play complements Sutton’s bruising physicality. There are questions about which guy will end up being Nix’s top target in the air, but if you ask Sutton, he doesn’t seem to care, so long as Denver can continue to win games.
“I want to win games,’’ Sutton bluntly said when speaking to reporters. “I don’t think that we have any individuals or personalities in our offense that are saying, ‘Hey, I need this, I need that.’ I think we have a bunch of guys that are willing to put their pride aside and say, ‘What do I need to do for this team to be successful?’ … The targets will come. I always say, the ball is going to find you no matter what. You just need to go out there and do your job.”
Broncos Expecting Big Things from Courtland Sutton, Jaylen Waddle in 2026
GettyJaylen Waddle #17 of the Miami Dolphins reacts against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Denver’s offense is going to have a different feel to it in 2026, no matter how you slice it. After largely protecting Nix during his first two seasons in the NFL, head coach Sean Payton will likely look to take the training wheels off and let him air it out to Sutton and Waddle all year long. Nix already has a good relationship with Sutton, and Waddle should only make this offense more difficult to slow down.
The Broncos won a lot of close games last season, so while they may regress in the win column, the overall expectation is that they will be a better overall team. And considering how challenging the AFC appears to be, particularly the AFC West division, Denver is going to need Sutton and Waddle to put up big numbers all year long if it wants to make another deep playoff run.
Courtland Sutton Sends Clear Message on Broncos WR1 After Jaylen Waddle Trade