Broncos' Bo Nix raves about new 'explosive playmaker' Jaylen Waddle

Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Broncos QB Bo Nix raves about new 'explosive playmaker' Jaylen Waddle

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Aug 3, 2026 1:23 PM ET

Denver Broncos wide receiver Jaylen Waddle makes one-handed catches look easy.

Last week, a clip of Waddle nonchalantly grabbing a pass with one hand went viral. Those highlight-worthy plays may soon become commonplace in the Mile High City. Broncos third-year QB Bo Nix clearly plans to target the WR — whom Denver acquired in an offseason trade with the Miami Dolphins — plenty this upcoming season.

Bo Nix hypes Jaylen Waddle

"He's an explosive playmaker," Nix said of Waddle this weekend (h/t Pro Football Talk's Myles Simmons). "This guy is really good at what he does. He makes plays, he's fast, he's really explosive. He's great ball in hand, he's great going to get the ball deep, he's great in the screen game. He can do just a lot of things. He's very versatile. He adds an extra element to our offense, and it's exciting."

The new element should help a Denver passing attack that sometimes sputtered in 2025 finally take off in 2026. Last season, the Broncos weren't horrible, ranking 13th in the league in passing yards (220.4 per game). But that number may have been better if Nix had hit on more deep shots.

Sheeeeesh, @D1__JW pic.twitter.com/VKXhvEPoSk
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) July 30, 2026

Per Sports Info Solutions, Nix ranked No. 3 in the NFL in pass attempts of 20-plus air yards (distance the ball travels through the air from the line of scrimmage) with 70. However, he completed only 25 of those passes.

Some of the inefficiency in the deep passing game falls on Nix, who often struggled with timing last season. But pin most of the blame on Denver's receiving corps. Outside of two-time Pro Bowl WR Courtland Sutton, the Broncos lack pass-catchers who can consistently create separation and hold on to the ball.

Pro Football Reference credited the Broncos with 43 drops on 613 targets in 2025, No. 2 in the NFL. And most of the position group's production came on yards after the catch (2,093 of 3,931).

This is where Waddle comes in. Last season, 682 of his 910 receiving yards in 16 games for the Dolphins came before the catch. His 10.7 yards before catch per reception ranked No. 15 in the NFL behind Sutton (via PFR).

Denver plans to make use of his ability to generate explosive plays. Nix said the Broncos are "going to attack" all areas of the field with Waddle.

The Broncos went 14-3 during the regular season in 2025 but got lucky in many of those games, logging an NFL-record 12 comeback wins. The AFC West squad can't count on that happening again in 2026. With Waddle on the roster, it may not have to. He should be waddling into the end zone many times this upcoming season.

Clark Dalton

Clark Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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