Miami Dolphins fans were not thrilled when Jon-Eric Sullivan traded Jaylen Waddle. Moving on from the fan-favorite WR was one of many interesting moves the team's new general manager made this offseason.
In return, the Dolphins got an extra first-round pick. They used that selection to move up for Chris Johnson. The young rookie's own NFL debut wasn't good, but Waddle's debut in Denver was somehow worse.
The compensation for the WR was fair, but on Monday Night Football, Waddle's use was a stark reminder to Dolphins fans that the WR isn't as elite as many believe. Waddle didn't just have a bad night; he was a non-factor on every level.
Jaylen Waddle's Broncos debut is a feather in Miami Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan's cap
The Broncos spent most of the game trailing their division rivals, Kansas City. The deficit they were trying to climb out of wasn't helped by Waddle, who was well-covered throughout the game, but that's not an excuse to not get him more involved.
Waddle managed just one catch for two yards, but the real surprise is that Denver only targeted Waddle three times in a blowout loss. How do you not feed him the ball? Waddle has had his share of one-catch games, even a couple of games with no catches, but the Broncos spent a lot to get him on the roster.
The Dolphins can't say that they won the trade just yet, but the Chiefs shutting down the receiver is a blueprint for stopping Waddle from making an impact. Denver was so bad on Monday that Waddle couldn't even be used as a decoy.
Throughout the offseason and training camp, the media hyped how good Waddle would make the Broncos' offense. Many Dolphins fans didn't see it. Waddle can be streaky at times, and his route running can get a bit lazy when things are not going well.
Broncos fans have to understand that Waddle isn't a number one receiver; he is a very good number two. On MNF, he wasn't even that. Part of that can be blamed on the Chiefs' secondary, which took him out of the game early, but quarterback Bo Nix clearly didn't trust the receiver in contested situations.
There is a lot of season left, but Broncos fans need to realize that Waddle is a flash receiver, meaning he can make a big play on one series and disappear on another.
Last year, Waddle had one game with no receptions and two games with fewer than two receptions. 2024 also showed the WR putting up four games with reception totals below 2. During the Dolphins' big run in 2023, Waddle posted one game with one reception.
The Broncos believe that Waddle can be a difference-maker, but in his first game, he was anything but. There is a lot of blame to go around, but Waddle's performance could easily be a sign of things to come.
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