Bills Missed Out on Jaylen Waddle Trade Despite Reportedly Offering More Than Broncos

Chalk it up as another loss for the Buffalo Bills at the hand of the Denver Broncos, at least for now.

As if the Bills' overtime divisional round playoff loss to Denver wasn't enough, the Broncos have apparently outlasted Buffalo in the battle to trade for dynamic Miami Dolphins' wide receiver Jaylen Waddle.

While the Broncos finally pulled off a deal for Waddle this week, Bills' fans were reminded of the organization's failed effort this past November.

Shortly after the 2025 trade deadline expired, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported that Buffalo offered a package featuring a 2027 first-round pick when the Dolphins were seeking a 2026 first-rounder as part of the deal.

Fast forward to present day, and NFL insider Jordan Schultz has revealed that the Bills' in-season proposal was better than what the Broncos, who were also apparently in talks to acquire Waddle prior to the deadline, were offering.

"Both the Bills and Broncos made a big push for Jaylen Waddle at the trade deadline. Buffalo, an AFC East foe, offered more, and the #Dolphins decided to wait — now they get a first rounder and more from Denver," said Schultz in a X post.

Eventual price paid for Waddle

As it turns out, the package that landed Waddle is highly similar to the reported trade deadline offer made by the Bills with the difference being a first-rounder this year as opposed to 2027.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Broncos sent their Round 1 and Round 3 picks to the Dolphins while the teams also swapped fourth-rounders, which actually improved Denver's position by 19 spots in the Round 4 order.

In terms of salary cap cost, Waddle will count $4.9 million against the Broncos' 2026 spending limit. That number balloons to $27.08 million in 2027 and $30.46 million in 2028.

Waddle > Moore?

After missing out on Waddle in November, the Bills went a different route in the offseason by trading for Chicago Bears' starter DJ Moore.

Buffalo sent the No. 60 overall pick to the Bears in exchange for the wide receiver and the Bears' Round 5 selection. While Moore's price was not nearly as expensive as what the Broncos paid for Waddle, one could argue that the latter is the more dynamic player.

DJ Moore TD — Jan 18, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver DJ Moore (2) catches a three-yard touchdown pass thrown by quarterback Caleb Williams (not pictured) against Los Angeles Rams safety Quentin Lake (37) and cornerback Darious Williams (31) during the second quarter of an NFC Divisional Round game | David Banks-Imagn Images

A closer look, however, suggests Moore is actually the better value. Only one year older than Waddle, Moore averages more catches per season and the two have an identical 13.5 yards per reception career average.

Over the past two seasons combined, Moore has totaled 1,802 yards from scrimmage and 13 touchdowns compared to 1,694 scrimmage yards and eight touchdowns for Waddle.