Broncos Sign Rookie WR After Injury to Jaylen Waddle

With Jaylen Waddle nursing a minor injury and Courtland Sutton out of action this week, the Denver Broncos made a move at wide receiver on Friday.

The Broncos signed rookie WR Kyre Duplessis, the team announced. Cornerback Jaden Robinson was waived with an injury designation in a corresponding transaction.

Undrafted out of Delaware this past spring, Duplessis held brief stints with the Detroit Lions and Seattle Seahawks prior to arriving in the Mile High City.

Duplessis is coming off his one and only season for the Fightin' Blue Hens, during which he tallied 60 receptions for 824 yards and five touchdowns, earning 2025 first-team All-Conference USA honors. He spent his first four years at Coastal Carolina, managing 348 receiving yards and one score on 23 catches.

"Duplessis is listed around 5-foot-10 to 5-foot-11 and roughly 190 to 195 pounds, depending on the source. He is not considered a pure burner," Detroit Football Journal noted in June. "Reports have his 40-yard dash around 4.6 seconds, which means his NFL path probably is not built around simply running past corners on the outside."

"At Delaware, he played a lot outside, but his NFL projection likely points more toward the slot, gadget touches, quick-game usage and special teams."

Duplessis' addition comes on a busy day at training camp for the Broncos, who lost defensive lineman Matt Henningsen to a torn Achilles tendon and watched WR Marvin Mims leave practice early with an apparent issue.

Where He Fits In

One would hate to dub Duplessis as merely a temporary camp body. But that's exactly what he is, barring a major surprise.

Even with Waddle and Mims down, Denver is still enjoying contributions from WRs Pat Bryant, Troy Franklin, and Lil'Jordan Humphrey. Behind them on the depth chart are the likes of Hakeem Butler, Michael Bandy, and Dane Key.

Once Waddle, Mims, and Sutton all are back on the field, Duplessis will probably be shown his walking papers, though it's possible he could later revert to the practice squad in such a scenario.

"Training camp is a tough situation," Sutton said Thursday. "Everyone understands that we have 90-something guys and at some point, we’re going to get down to [53]. There are a lot of guys who aren’t going to make it. Whether it’s guys that have been here or are new here, there are always somethings that we can learn. I’m back there talking to them and helping when I can, but I’m always telling you guys that I’m always trying to learn something new. Somebody might tell me something that can help me down the road. Just trying to be a help wherever I possibly can.”

Sign up for our free Denver Broncos On SI newsletter, and get breaking Broncos news delivered to your inbox daily!

Add us as a preferred source on Google