Payton Clears Air After Jaylen Waddle Leaves Broncos Practice

All of Broncos Country held their collective breath Wednesday after wide receiver Jaylen Waddle left training camp practice and did not return. Per those on hand, Waddle exited one-on-one drills upon pulling up slowly during a "route on air pass" from quarterback Bo Nix.

Exhale, folks.

“We’ll evaluate him. I think he’s fine. It’s a muscle tightness," head coach Sean Payton told reporters.

Acquired from the Dolphins this offseason, Waddle has been exactly as advertised for the Broncos thus far, standing out in camp as the de facto WR1 while forming instant chemistry with Nix. The two have repeatedly connected on routes in both individual and team drills.

“He’s an explosive playmaker. The guy is really good at what he does," Nix said on Aug. 1. "He makes plays, he’s fast, he’s really explosive. He’s great ball in hand, he’s great going to get the ball deep, he’s great in the screen game. He can do just a lot of things. He’s very versatile. He adds an extra element to our offense, and it’s exciting. We have a lot of different weapons that we’re using, and I think top to bottom, this is just a really strong team, really good. We just have to find what works for us and find ways to utilize all our tools.”

Waddle could be limited for a practice or two — if indeed his issue is only muscle tightness — but is likely in no danger of missing any significant time. It wouldn't be surprising to see him back out on the field Thursday, in some capacity.

Along with Waddle, the Broncos were also without veteran receiver Courtland Sutton, who sat out a second consecutive practice with what's essentially considered rest days. Outside linebacker Dondrea Tillman (hamstring) also remained sidelined.

“He’ll be out [there] tomorrow. He’ll be here tomorrow," Payton said of Sutton.

LJH Steps Up in Waddle's Stead

The biggest benefactor of Waddle and Sutton's absence on Thursday wasn't Marvin Mims, Pat Bryant, or Troy Franklin — all of whom have enjoyed solid days in camp.

It was longtime reserve Lil'Jordan Humphrey, who caught a multitude of passes from the quarterbacks and drew praise from Payton in the latter's post-practice press conference.

"We do all the metrics and they wear the chips, but his weight’s down," Payton said. "His movement on the field, acceleration, top-end speed is higher last season and now than it was when he was here earlier. They’re able to measure that with the Catapult. So he’s extremely smart, that’s probably one of his superpowers. He can play all three positions, and he’s a big target."

Humphrey, who returned to the club on a one-year deal in March, figures to (again) push for a spot on the 53-man roster when it's decided at the end of the month.

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