Courtland Sutton Weighs In on Jaylen Waddle's Fit With Broncos

The Denver Broncos made a huge splash in their wide receiver room earlier this offseason when they decided to bring in star pass-catcher Jaylen Waddle to their offense from the Miami Dolphins––sending over a first, third, and fourth-round pick in exchange to add another layer of playmaking to their air attack.

It was a big statement from the Broncos; effectively giving Bo Nix and their offense a new No. 1 weapon on the outside to pair with their existing wide receiver corps in hopes of adding another jolt of explosiveness to this already solid scoring unit that Denver had boasted throughout 2025.

And while Waddle hasn't even been on the field for his first official snap in a Broncos uniform just yet, he hasn't wasted any time making a good impression on those inside the building.

Courtland Sutton Already Impressed by Jaylen Waddle

One player that Waddle has already captured the attention of is his partner in the wide receiver room that's been Nix's favorite target for the past two seasons: eight-year veteran Courtland Sutton, who spoke extremely highly of the Broncos' new addition back during OTAs.

"Being able to see the things that he does really well, but being able to see it up close. I’ve been able to watch him from a distance. Obviously some of the things that he does well watching him on film and now being able to see it up close, he’s a special dude," Sutton said at OTAs.

The Broncos' passing offense was already among the top of the league in terms of production this past season. After all, they ranked seventh in the NFL for total passing yards and fourth in total passing touchdowns.

Dec 21, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (17) reacts during the second quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

But the combination of Waddle's speed, route-running ability, and playmaking prowess after the catch is a unique presence in the offense that the Broncos haven't had in some time. And through a few days of practice, it's been that skillset that's jumped out in the eyes of Sutton.

"There are a lot of things that he has—the qualities that he does that are very unique to himself. I say that in a very specific way because he has some qualities that only he can do," Sutton said.

"It’s fun to be able to see it up close and personal. I think Coach Webb and Coach Payton have done a really good job already of trying to figure out the things that he can do well to help us in our room and help our offense.”

Sutton Has No Issues Sacrificing Targets to Waddle

Of course, with Waddle coming into the picture and likely capturing a good bit of attention in the Broncos' offensive game planning, that means that someone like Sutton––who's coming fresh off of two straight 1,000-yard campaigns––might see his individual numbers drop a bit from what he's been accustomed to.

Despite that, it seems like Sutton has no issues doing what's right for the team in accepting his role and doing what needs to be done for the Broncos to win games. He has confidence in himself to do just that, as well as the belief that those around him in Denver's wide reciever room can do the same.

"At the end of the day, I want to win games," Sutton continued. "I think last year, we saw what it would take for a selfless offense to be able to get to where we want to get to. I don’t think that we have any individuals or personalities in our offense that are saying, ‘Hey, I need this, I need that.’ I think we have a bunch of guys that are willing to put their pride aside and say, ‘What do I need to do for this team to be successful?"

Dec 14, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos wide receiver Troy Franklin (11), wide receiver Courtland Sutton (14) and wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. (19) celebrate a touchdown during the third quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"I think us seeing that last year, we got to see what that benefit is in terms of overall team success. I think having that mentality as an offense and team will ultimately get us where we want to get to. I think last year was a good start and I think that we’ve added to… The targets will come. I always say, the ball is going to find you no matter what, you just need to go out there and do your job.”

We're still a few weeks away from seeing what the Broncos' fit with Waddle will look like on the field in a regular season game. We haven't even gotten to training camp yet.

But already, it's hard not to get amped up about what might be in store in the Mile High this year––both for fans on the outside, and even for players in the building like Sutton who are seeing things up close and personal.

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