Speed receiver acquired by Denver from Miami in 2026 to give Bo Nix a true No. 1 target.
Jaylen Waddle spent four seasons in Miami as Tua Tagovailoa's most explosive target, including a 1,356-yard sophomore year. Miami's 2025 collapse and salary-cap reset led to a March 2026 trade that sent Waddle to the Broncos for a 2026 first-round pick and a 2027 third. Denver gets a deep threat to pair with Bo Nix.
Path to the league
Alabama national champion alongside Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa. Dolphins took him sixth overall in 2021. Set the NFL rookie record for receptions (104) on a team that went 9-8. Made the Pro Bowl in 2022 after a 1,356-yard sophomore season.
Career highlights
2022 Pro Bowl. 2021 NFL rookie record for receptions (104). 2017 CFP National Champion (Alabama). 5,200-plus career receiving yards. Career 14.5 yards per reception.
2025 season and trade
58 catches for 740 yards in 14 Miami games. Concussion issues for Tua limited the offense all season. Traded to Denver in March 2026 in a deal that also sent a 2027 third-round pick to the Dolphins. Bo Nix's return from his ankle injury plus a healthy Waddle gives the Broncos a top-10 passing offense projection.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Jaylen Waddle
- Pro Football Reference: Jaylen Waddle
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Receiving
16 games played▶Receiving · career
| Year | Team | GP | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | dolphins | 16 | 64 | 910 | 14.2 | 6 | 46 |
| 2024 | dolphins | 15 | 58 | 744 | 12.8 | 2 | 63 |
| 2023 | dolphins | 14 | 72 | 1,014 | 14.1 | 4 | 60 |
| 2022 | dolphins | 17 | 75 | 1,356 | 18.1 | 8 | 84 |
| 2021 | dolphins | 16 | 104 | 1,015 | 9.8 | 6 | 57 |
▶Rushing · career
| Year | Team | GP | CAR | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | dolphins | 16 | 2 | 28 | 14.0 | 0 | 21 |
| 2024 | dolphins | 15 | 4 | 12 | 3.0 | 0 | 6 |
| 2023 | dolphins | 14 | 3 | 12 | 4.0 | 0 | 12 |
| 2022 | dolphins | 17 | 3 | 26 | 8.7 | 0 | 9 |
| 2021 | dolphins | 16 | 2 | 3 | 1.5 | 1 | 2 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Wide Receiver
- Group
- offense
- College
- Alabama
- Hometown
- Houston, TX, USA
- Age
- 27
- Status
- active
Latest news about Jaylen Waddle
All news →J.K. Dobbins wants to reward the Broncos and run them to a Super Bowl
Denver made re-signing Dobbins a priority. He returns from a foot injury with a two-year deal and one goal: stay on the field for all 17 games and power a win-now offense.
Bo Nix says he's on track for training camp, explains second ankle surgery was for bone spurs
The Broncos quarterback needed a second procedure on his right ankle to clean up bone spurs. He says the medical team has cleared him as 'good as new' and he expects to be ready when camp opens.
Did the Broncos rewrite the salary cap rulebook by cutting Russell Wilson?
Denver swallowed a record dead money charge to move on from Russell Wilson in 2024. Two years later, the league appears to be following its lead.
Davis Webb is calling plays for the Broncos. That's a bigger deal than it sounds.
Sean Payton rarely hands off the headset. His decision to make first-year coordinator Davis Webb the primary playcaller signals something has changed in Denver.
Broncos Lock In Sean Payton With New 5-Year Deal Through 2030
Denver tears up the final two years of Payton's original contract and signs him through 2030, keeping the coach and GM George Paton on matching timelines after a 14-3 season.
Dolphins lock up Aaron Brewer with three-year, $52.5 million extension
The deal pays the undrafted center $17.5 million per year, third most at the position, with $37 million guaranteed.
