Pat Surtain II Reveals First Reaction to Jaylen Waddle Joining Broncos

The Denver Broncos are loading up on Alabama alumni in the wake of the Jaylen Waddle trade. Waddle joins cornerback Patrick Surtain II and rush linebacker Que Robinson as former Crimson Tide standouts now plying their trade in the Mile High City.

Surtain and Waddle were teammates at Alabama, and both were top-10 selections in the 2021 NFL draft. Surtain has stayed tight with his old college teammate, so he's excited about the phenomenal skill set he believes Waddle brings to the Broncos' wide receiver room.

"I think it makes the team better as a whole, man," Surtain told host of the Games With Names podcast Julian Edelman. "I just think, bringing in a guy like that, he's able to bring the showcase. It's going to be exciting to watch. Just his speed, his playmaking ability. To jam well with our wide receiving corps that we have with Court [Sutton], Marvin Mims [Jr.], Pat Bryant, Troy Franklin, Lil'Jordan Humphrey. Like, young with a lot of talent. So practice is going to be fun. It's going to make everybody better for sure."

Waddle ups the ante for the other receivers on the Broncos' depth chart, but the veteran chops of him and Sutton could aid the continued development of Bryant and Franklin, in particular.

When it comes to iron sharpening iron, Waddle has quite playfully challenged Surtain to a boxing fight, but it's on the practice field where the Broncos' standout cornerback really wants to go one-on-one.

"Definitely. That's going to be the matchup, one-on-one," Surtain told to Edelman. "I'm looking forward to that battle. Going back to our collegiate days. I don't know, it sort of takes me back in time to where it's those hot days in Tuscaloosa. Those hot practices, and we're going one-on-one against each other. And it's definitely going to be one of those canon events that we experience."

During his introductory press conference on Wednesday, Waddle touched on his close friendship with Surtain and why he was one of his first calls when the trade went down.

“It was special. He was one of the first calls that I made," Waddle said of Surtain. "We talked about this earlier in our careers, we wanted to get together and play with each other. Just seeing it happen, it’s special.”

Super Bowl Aspirations Re-Ignited

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

Trading for Waddle has reignited the Broncos' Super Bowl expectations, which were flagging outside the building after an unprecedentedly quiet first week of free agency that had everyone scratching their heads.

All the sky-is-falling narratives were driven by sheer media overkill, but signing Waddle will have struck a chord with third-year quarterback Bo Nix.

In the ultimate copycat league, the trend of making high-profile trades has seen Broncos GM George Paton jump on the bandwagon, packaging a first- and third-round pick to get Waddle to Denver. The Broncos also swapped fourth-rounders with the Miami Dolphins in the Waddle trade.

This strategy has added some spice and bite to Denver's offseason activities, and ESPN insider Adam Schefter believes that blockbuster trades are now part of the NFL's front-office tapestry.

"I think the biggest factor is that we have a new breed of GMs," Schefter said during an NFL On ESPN appearance. "It's a younger group of GMs. It's a more aggressive group of GMs. And when we look at some of the teams that have had the greatest success, they have not been afraid to make trades."

At the very least, Paton's Broncos have finally exploded out from their free-agency cocoon, getting the pulses racing once again by consummating the Waddle trade. That was followed on Thursday by the Broncos signing former Cincinnati Bengals safety Tycen Anderson.

Some will say that the Broncos gave up too much for the 27-year-old Waddle, but what's good for the goose is always good for the gander.

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