Jaylen Waddle Shares What Has Stood Out About Bo Nix Right Away

Last Thursday gave us our first glimpse at new wide receiver Jaylen Waddle in a Denver Broncos uniform. Acquired via trade from the Miami Dolphins in March, Waddle looked fast and explosive in his first Broncos practice open to the media.

Watching from the sideline on Thursday in a ball cap was Broncos quarterback Bo Nix, who is still working back from the ankle injury he suffered in the divisional round of the playoffs. Jarrett Stidham ran the Broncos' first-team offense on Thursday, but head coach Sean Payton revealed that Nix has been throwing in the practices that haven't been open to media scrutiny.

The Broncos spent most of May in the initial phases of their offseason training program, which gave Waddle and Nix plenty of time to get to know each other better. That bond will continue to grow, especially on the field when Nix fully returns, but the veteran wideout has seen enough to share his first impressions of his new quarterback following Thursday's practice.

A few things jump out.

“Bo is definitely a competitor. He loves talking ball," Waddle said. "He loves just being around, being around the guys. I think he’s going to be a great leader."

.@D1__JW in the orange and blue 👀 pic.twitter.com/LjGz7i0ZvB
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) June 4, 2026

Beyond Nix's leadership and football character, one thing Waddle appreciates in his new quarterback is his communication. If something needs to be said, or if he spots something, Nix says it, which can only help keep him on the same page with Waddle.

"I can just see the traits from him just day-to-day and everything. If he sees something, he’s going to tell me about it," Waddle said of Nix. "Then we kind of pick each other’s brains and try to get on the same page as best we can.”

Circle Mandatory Minicamp

Broncos fans are itching to see Nix back out on the grass again, especially with a new weapon like Waddle in his arsenal. There's a decent chance Nix will be out there for the Broncos' mandatory minicamp June 16-18, based on what we're hearing from Payton.

“It’s kind of what I told you. I think we’ll see him in that role here," Payton said. "I mean, you don’t see the pre-practice, but he’s been throwing. I do think in our third week, when you guys are out here for three straight days, I think you’ll see more of a role.”

Payton obviously stopped short of promising that we'll see Nix or that he'll be taking every first-team snap, but it really sounds like the Broncos are planning for him to participate in the three-day minicamp on some level, all of which is open to the media.

Building On a Strong Foundation

Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) passes in the second quarter during a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. | Dustin Bradford / IMAGO / Icon Sportswire

Nix is coming off an impressive second year, leading the Broncos to a 14-win finish, which tied a franchise record for victories in a single season. He passed for a career-high 3,931 yards and 25 touchdowns in 2025.

Nix's 612 pass attempts led all NFL quarterbacks, though he came up short of the 4,000-yard mark. Meanwhile, Courtland Sutton posted his second straight 1,000-yard receiving campaign, earning a Pro Bowl nod to boot.

With Waddle in the fold and new offensive coordinator Davis Webb calling the plays, we hope to see Nix's passing efficiency improve. But it's hard to complain too much, considering that he's produced the most prolific first two quarterback seasons in NFL history, totaling 24 wins, 7,500-plus passing yards, and 50-plus touchdowns. No NFL quarterback has ever done that.

After the quarterback depredations Waddle suffered in Miami over his last two seasons as a Dolphin, he's surely hoping for a mini career Renaissance himself. After exceeding the 1,000-yard receiving mark in each of his first three NFL seasons, he totaled 1,654 yards combined over his last two years in Miami.

A big part of that was former Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa's injury issues and the subsequent instability that created. Wide receiver is a quarterback-dependent position, after all, and Waddle was at the mercy of a less-than-stellar situation under center.

Waddle still caught 122 passes combined over the 2024 and 2025 seasons, with eight touchdowns. But at 27 years old, he's still in his prime.

'Elite' WR Pairing

Waddle is looking forward to catching passes from Nix and attacking defenses alongside Sutton, the latter of whom he complimented as being "elite."

"Courtland is an elite playmaker," Waddle said on Thursday. "Anytime you've got a playmaker on the other side of you, it makes things easier. He's somebody the defense has to account for, and vice versa."

With Sutton and Waddle on the outside, Nix will have no shortage of weapons this time around, with the likes of Troy Franklin, Marvin Mims Jr., and Pat Bryant, not to mention tight end Evan Engram, running routes on the inside. Throw in pass-catching running back RJ Harvey, and Nix is going to be loaded for bear on this 2026 hunt.

The Broncos will hit the field again this week with another voluntary OTA camp, beginning on Tuesday. Don't expect to see Nix out there in this week's open-to-the-media practice, but next week's mandatory minicamp could be different.

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