The Denver Broncos didn’t make a ton of moves this offseason, but the moves they made figure to have a big impact on their success in the 2026 campaign. Perhaps the most important addition to the team is star wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, who was picked up in a blockbuster trade with the Miami Dolphins.
Waddle will team up alongside Courtland Sutton to provide Bo Nix with one of the best one-two punches at the wide receiver position in the NFL. However, fans were worried on Wednesday after seeing Waddle leave practice early with an injury, but head coach Sean Payton stepped in to quickly alleviate the concern surrounding his status.
Sean Payton Issues Jaylen Waddle Injury Update
The No. 6 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Waddle spent the first five years of his career primarily working as a No. 2 option for the Dolphins alongside Tyreek Hill. Despite that, Waddle has been one of the most consistent wide receivers in the league since getting drafted, even as Miami’s offense fell apart over the past two seasons.
With Hill missing most of last season due to a serious leg injury, Waddle became the team’s No. 1 wideout, but he could only do so much with Tua Tagovailoa becoming a borderline unplayable option at quarterback. Waddle’s numbers were still strong (64 REC, 910 YDS, 6 TD), but the expectation is that he will be able to take things to another level now that he is joining a competent Broncos offense.
Throughout his career, Waddle has generally managed to stay healthy, but he was forced off the practice field early on Wednesday, which is rarely a good sign. According to Payton, though, Waddle is simply dealing with some muscle tightness, which led the team to exercise extreme caution in an effort to avoid him suffering a more serious injury.
“Sean Payton said Jaylen Waddle had some ‘muscle tightness’ and should be OK,” Ian Rapoport of NFL Network shared in a post on X.
Broncos Avoid Worst Case Scenario with Jaylen Waddle Injury
GettyJaylen Waddle is expected to have a significant impact on Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos.
Considering how it’s only August, teams are obviously going to be quite careful when it comes to managing these injury situations. The good news for Waddle is that he did not suffer any sort of serious ailment, but the Broncos aren’t going to push their new star wide receiver to stay on the field during training camp. If he needs some extra time to ensure he’s fully healthy before returning to action, he’s going to get it.
While Denver appears to have dodged a bullet when it comes to Waddle’s injury status, his status is going to be worth monitoring over the next few days. Ideally, he will be back on the field for the team’s next practice, but again, if he needs to take a couple of days off, so be it. The Broncos have championship aspirations, so if they need to rest Waddle now in order to keep him fresh for a potential postseason run, they are going to hold him out of the action 10 times out of 10.
Broncos’ Sean Payton Provides Jaylen Waddle Update After Injury Scare