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Denver Broncos fans woke up feeling nervous on Wednesday and it's all because of Maxx Crosby

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Zach Ragan | Last updated Mar 18, 2026 10:55 AM ET

After being dormant for a week, the Denver Broncos finally made a splash move on Tuesday by trading for wide receiver Jaylen Waddle.

Denver sent a first-round (30th overall), third-round (94th), and fourth-round (130th) draft pick to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for Waddle and a fourth-round (111th) draft pick.

Waddle, a former Alabama Crimson Tide standout, gives Denver a dynamic playmaker to help take the load off quarterback Bo Nix.

The Jaylen Waddle trade isn't official yet

The Waddle deal isn't official yet, which has some fans nervous after the Maxx Crosby debacle last week.

Crosby was traded from the Las Vegas Raiders to the Baltimore Ravens a couple of days before the start of NFL free agency. The deal, however, was rescinded following Crosby's physical with the Ravens (Baltimore wasn't comfortable with the future outlook of Crosby's knee). As a result, Crosby is staying with the Raiders.

Waddle is scheduled to take his physical with the Broncos on Wednesday.

Jaylen Waddle will be in Denver today to take his physical.

Once that happens, the Broncos-Dolphins trade can officially go through and he can officially become a Denver Bronco. pic.twitter.com/ObqAmFwcMy
— Zac Stevens (@ZacStevensDNVR) March 18, 2026

Denver fans are collectively holding their breath on Wednesday as everyone awaits final word on Waddle.

Now, there is no expectation that Waddle will fail his physical. He's never missed more than three games in a season, and his injury history is mostly the normal bumps and bruises from playing football (concussion, high ankle sprain, knee strain, rib injury, etc).

But after what went down with Crosby, it's understandable that fans are a little on edge now when a player undergoes a physical.

It's important to remember, however, that what happened with Crosby was extremely rare. We haven't seen many situations like that happen in the NFL. But at the same time, Crosby's situation is a reminder that deals are never final until the team is comfortable with the health of the player.

Waddle missed the final game of the 2025 season while dealing with a rib injury. The former Alabama wide receiver logged back-to-back limited practices before the game, but with the Dolphins already eliminated from the playoffs, there was no reason to play him in the regular-season finale.

The full expectation is that Denver's trade with Miami will be finalized following Waddle's physical, but the memory of what went down with Crosby in Baltimore last week will linger until the deal is official.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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