Winners and losers of Jaylen Waddle trade from Dolphins to Broncos
Winners and losers of Jaylen Waddle trade from Dolphins to Broncos
Nate Davis, USA TODAYTue, March 17, 2026 at 7:17 PM UTC
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Just when it appeared NFL free agency had died down – and it’s a fair assessment given most of the big names have signed new contracts – the league unleashes another sizable curveball, this time in the form of another blockbuster trade. The Miami Dolphins agreed on March 17 to deal WR Jaylen Waddle to the Denver Broncos in a package that also sent a first- and third-round pick from Denver back to South Florida.
What does the offseason’s latest bombshell mean for a rebooting club and another that fell just shy of the Super Bowl last season – and even more broadly than that? The winners and losers from Tuesday’s Waddle swap:
1 / 02026 NFL offseason tracker: Player signings, trades
OT Tytus Howard: Traded to Cleveland Browns (previous team: Houston Texans)
WINNERSJaylen Waddle
A premier player who’s averaged better than 1,000 receiving yards during his five NFL seasons – despite predominantly playing second banana to Tyreek Hill in Miami – Waddle will now likely become a centerpiece of Denver’s attack, which has been on the periphery of the top 10 league-wide in coach Sean Payton’s three seasons in the Rockies.
Bo Nix
Heading into his third season – and with his team squarely in a Super Bowl window after their recent run to the AFC championship game (which injured Nix had to miss) – the Broncos’ QB1 should now enjoy a game-breaking element this attack hasn’t really had the past two years. And make no mistake – while Nix entered the NFL with a reputation as a checkdown guy, he’s got more than enough arm to fully leverage Waddle’s deep speed.
DENVER, COLORADO - SEPTEMBER 07: Bo Nix #10 of the Denver Broncos celebrates a touchdown with Courtland Sutton #14 of the Denver Broncos during the second quarter against the Tennessee Titans during the game at Empower Field At Mile High on September 07, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Tyler Schank/Getty Images)Davis Webb
Denver’s new offensive coordinator and play caller should also benefit from a shiny new toy that Payton hasn’t had at his disposal recently. And given the reputation for creativity Webb brings to his new role, oughta be fun to see how he can unleash Waddle.
Jon-Eric Sullivan and Jeff Hafley
Miami’s nascent brain trust – Sullivan the newly hired GM and Hafley the head coach, both imports from the Green Bay Packers – gets some added juice for what is an obvious rebuild. The win-loss record may not be pretty in 2026, when the Dolphins will also be working off most of their Tua Tagovailoa salary cap debt. But owning three of the draft’s top 43 picks should provide a needed infusion of youth and talent with brighter days hopefully ahead.
2026 NFL draft's wide receivers
The supply at the position is regarded as plentiful this year. And while the demand might be somewhat zero-sum given the Broncos' need is now Miami's, the Dolphins, who pick 11th overall, now have an opening higher up the draft board.
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2026 NFL MOCK DRAFT: Jaylen Waddle trade alters outlook for Broncos, Dolphins, others
LOSERSMalik Willis
Miami’s newly signed QB1 doesn’t have an obvious WR1 at this point in time. Maybe the added draft capital eventually resolves that, especially in a year when there seems to be both encouraging quality and quantity at the position. But in the interim, Willis will be throwing to guys this spring unlikely to have a high-end impact in the fall.
De'Von Achane
With Waddle and Hill now both ex-Dolphins, the running back is Miami’s only remaining playmaker who will strike fear into opposing defenses … and maybe not so much if they’re geared up to primarily stop Achane absent any other weaponry. He led the team with 67 receptions and 1,838 yards from scrimmage in 2025 and might find himself catching even more balls in 2026 if this team is constantly behind the chains.
Courtland Sutton
He’s led Denver in receiving yards the past three seasons, though his middling production over that stretch – 57.4 yards per game – could take a hit unless Webb shifts into a high-volume passing attack. But with Waddle, TE Evan Engram and second-year RB RJ Harvey among the other mouths to feed, Sutton may have to eat less – if not necessarily in the red zone.
Los Angeles Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs
Both squads finished behind the Broncos, who went 14-3 and earned the AFC’s No. 1 playoff seed in 2025, in the hyper-competitive AFC West. Worse for the Chiefs, they have to replace Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson, last year’s starting cornerbacks, while trying to contend with Denver’s expanding offensive arsenal. Good luck with that.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Broncos' Jaylen Waddle trade: winners, losers not limited to Denver, Miami
Source: “AOL Sports”
