The Denver Broncos Are Prioritizing the Future

Jaylen Waddle rumors swirled the team leading up to the deadline, but the restraint on trading for the Miami wideout is also wise.

Waddle signed a three-year, $84.75 million extension last year that runs through 2029, with $ 76 million guaranteed. It’s not completely unapproachable, but it’s hefty. Adding Waddle’s contract would significantly limit Denver’s flexibility and make resigning other young players impossible. Riley Moss, Luke Wattenberg, Dobbins, Marvin Mims, and others would be tough to resign with the addition of Waddle. It closes doors that Denver would want open.

Further, it was reported that the Dolphins were asking for a first-round pick in return for Waddle, which the Broncos deemed to be too high a price. This also shows wisdom.

First-round picks are incredibly valuable, and while Waddle was a first-rounder himself, he would cost much more. NFL contenders are made through the first round of the draft. Denver still has rights to their upcoming firsts, and keeping them for themselves or other moves makes a ton of sense. Trading for Waddle is a good concept, but not in practice.

Broncos’ Upcoming Offseason

The Broncos built a contender while trapped in cap purgatory. It’s an incredible feat. Looking ahead, the 2026 offseason seems primed to help Denver address its remaining needs. The Broncos will finally be free of Russell Wilson’s dead cap hit and have the 10th most cap space ($49,563,669 to be exact).

Evan Engram has done a lot to alleviate Denver’s TE struggles, but he’s only signed through 2026. TE depth continues to plague the Broncos’ offense. Acquiring one via the deadline would’ve been nice, but the 2026 TE free agent class is a great one. Mark Andrews, David Njoku, Dallas Goedert, Kyle Pitts, and Sean Payton staple Taysom Hill are all upcoming free agents. Denver can get another reliable TE option without giving up assets in a trade.

The WR free agent class is a similar story. Christian Kirk, Jakobi Meyers, Jauan Jennings, and Rashid Shaheed are all up to hit the market, as well as older options like Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel, and Keenan Allen. Signing Lil’Jordan Humphrey off the Giants’ practice squad is indeed a pretty bleak affair, but it also signals where Denver’s WR depth is at. While another strong WR is needed, it was going to come at a cost at the deadline.

A Misleading Record

Denver chose lasting contention over a win-now approach. The decision makers correctly evaluated that this team’s championship window doesn’t close after this season. Their contract management, rookie deals, and impact players at impact positions make for three to four years of contention.

They even have enough financial flexibility and talent that if things truly reach the point of no return at the QB spot, they can pivot. Veteran reclamation projects seem to be the new trend, or maybe a rookie could be what Sean Payton prefers (cough cough, Ty Simpson).

It’s understandable for fans to want the front office to go all-in on this year. The league is wide open, and a top seed is within reach; why not push all the chips in? This would be missing the forest for the trees.

The Broncos are 7-2 in one-score games after going 1-6 the year before. Denver’s defense is what is keeping them in games at all. They’ve beaten just one team with a winning record all season. Simply put, the Broncos are somewhat of a fool’s gold team and due for regression.

Don’t misunderstand, Denver is still absolutely in title contention and will be in the mix come January. The defense alone could get them past the Wild Card round.

But this is not a ‘win-now’ team, not as currently constructed. The Denver front office, rightfully so, is looking ahead beyond just this year.

However this season ends, the Broncos have built themselves back into a perennial presence in the AFC. Preserving resources to maintain that presence is crucial, and betting chips on a questionable hand isn’t the way to succeed.