Denver Broncos Trade for Jaylen Waddle Proves They're in Win-Now Mode

The Denver Broncos trade for Jaylen Waddle means they're all-in.

It's win-now for Denver.

No doubt about it.

Denver Broncos Trade for Jaylen Waddle Signals Win-Now Mode

The Broncos paid a hefty price for Waddle; Denver traded their first-round pick (30), third-round pick (No. 94), and fourth-rounder (No. 130) in the 2026 NFL Draft for Waddle and Miami's fourth-rounder (No. 111).

Denver now enters the NFL Draft without a first or third-round pick.

That's the biggest signal that the Broncos are in win-now mode.

One month ago, I said the Broncos should trade for Waddle only if the price is right. At that time, I thought a first-round pick was too steep a price for the veteran receiver.

But, after Denver sat idly by during free agency, only re-signing Broncos players, at this point it's a great move for the Broncos.

Because they're all-in right now. Not two or three years from now. But now. 2026.

And Denver should be.

Why the Broncos Should be All-In Right Now

Denver's starting quarterback Bo Nix is still in his rookie contract for two more years, the Broncos defense is elite, and Sean Payton may only have a few years left in the NFL at 62 years old currently.

Those are the reasons why the Broncos should be all-in, and Denver's trade for Jaylen Waddle was smart.

Let's start with Nix.

Bo Nix's rookie contract

It's been an up-and-down two years in the NFL for him, but he's probably proven at this point that he's a franchise quarterback. Especially after his incredible game against the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional Round.

Nix's footwork and fundamentals leave something to be desired a lot of the time. That makes his accuracy suffer. But in games where he has better fundamentals, he shines. The win over the Packers was one of those games, so was the defeat of the Chiefs in November, and that Bills playoff game was another.

What sets Nix apart is his elite negative play rate. He simply doesn't take sacks or turn the ball over much at all. That's winning football, even if his accuracy still struggles.

So, if Nix is the quarterback of the future—which all signs currently point to—Denver has two more years to build a roster around him while he's still on his rookie deal.

Right now, the Broncos are paying him 1/10th of what they will be if hey re-sign him to a massive deal.

Currently, the top-10 earners in the NFL are all quarterbacks and they all make at least $50M per season. Nix's $5M cap hit this year is a mere 1.67% of the team's total cap. If he made $50M, it would be 16.7% of this year's total cap.

Simply, the Broncos can afford to pay a lot more players while Nix is making peanuts.

Sean Payton's age

The second reason why it's smart for the Broncos to be in win-now mode is because Sean Payton isn't getting any younger.

He's 62 years old currently, and will turn 63 during this upcoming season. Only Andy Reid (67), Todd Bowles (62), and Jim Harbaugh (62) are older than Payton.

Payton still seems spry enough to be coaching, and he loves to be the head man of the Broncos.

But, we did see him make multiple mistakes this year, whether they came in the form of play calling or decision making. That included going for it on 4th and 1 with a backup quarterback against the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game when he should've kicked the field goal.

His play calling was also bafflingly bad early in the season. Payton called screen after screen pass; they were being read and stopped easily by opposing defenses.

Finally, the second half of the season he was a much better and more aggressive play caller. That play calling peaked for Payton in the Packers game.

But it seems he's feeling his age, too.

Payton gave up play calling to new offensive coordinator Davis Webb, who's exactly half the head coach's age, at a mere 31 years old.

The Broncos are in win-now mode because Payton is only getting older and he may only have a few years left of coaching left in him.

Denver's defense is elite

The final reason why they're all-in right now is the defense is elite and the entire group stayed together this offseason outside of John Franklin-Myers. And cutting Dre Greenlaw.

That includes not just players but defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, who had multiple head coaching interviews this offseason.

Losing Joseph would've been a big blow to the continuity of the defense, but he's still in the Mile High City for at least one more year.

Similarly, there are multiple defenders on the last year of their current deals. Safety Brandon Jones is one. Ja'Quan McMillian just signed his second-round tender, so he'll be a free agent in 2027. Riley Moss is in the last year of his deal, too.

That's a big chunk of the secondary who could all be gone in 2027.

Then you have guys like Pat Surtain, Nik Bonitto, Jonathon Cooper, and Zach Allen who are all in their primes right now.

The Broncos just led the NFL in sacks in back-to-back years, setting new franchise records in consecutive seasons. They can get after the quarterback because Joseph isn't afraid to dial up a Broncos Blitz or two, knowing his best-secondary-in-the-NFL will lock down opposing receivers.

Denver's defense is already championship ready.

They led the Broncos to that AFC Championship Game last year; they forced the Buffalo Bills to turn the ball over an incredible five times in the Divisional Round, including McMillian's play that was one of the greatest plays in NFL history.

And like we saw with the last three Super Bowl Champions—this year's Seahawks, the 2024 Eagles, and 2023 Chiefs—defense wins championships.

Each of them were either second or first-best in points allowed. Denver was third-best in points allowed the last two years.

The Denver Broncos trade for Jaylen Waddle puts Denver's offense over the top. Or at the very least, is a major upgrade over last year.

Waddle is a great deep ball receiver, but as Dan Pizzuta said, he's a three-level winner.

Waddle immediately becomes the best receiver on the team, which simultaneously takes some pressure off of Courtland Sutton and gives Bo Nix another speedy and reliable weapon. It should allow Sutton to get open easier, plus with Waddle as a deep threat, the intermediate game should open up, too. That means a better year for Evan Engram, hopefully. Plus, it allows Troy Franklin, Marvin Mims, and Pat Bryant to continue to grow without the pressure of one of them being the team's No. 2 guy.

George Paton said "Fuck them picks" and went all-in.

It's an exciting day in Broncos Country.

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Rich Kurtzman was born and raised in Denver Colorado and attended Colorado State University in Fort Collins in the aughts. He's been a professional writer since 2011, covering Colorado State football and men's basketball, as well as the Denver Broncos, for many outlets. Current Denver Broncos work can be found on Mile High Sports. Previous credits include CBS Denver and The USA TODAY Sports Media Group.

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