Payton: Waddle has a strain, will return 4-5 days

Nix looked mobile and eager to chuck it downfield. He even had a few overthrows, which we suppose is a good thing for a quarterback who spent the offseason rehabbing an ankle injury. The Broncos quarterback linked up with new WR Jaylen Waddle for a 35-yard gain down the seam and targeted WR Courtland Sutton a couple of times along the sideline. He found tonight’s starting RB RJ Harvey speeding down the right side of the field on a wheel route, and linked up with the second-year running back for a 21-yard touchdown to conclude the first drive. New OC Davis Webb regularly dialed up play action, which is great for fantasy purposes. Nix looks like a low-end QB1.

Waddle missed an extended amount of time due to what was being classified as a muscle strain by head coach Sean Payton. The veteran receiver officially returned to the practice field on Monday, with Payton saying after practice that Waddle was “coming along really well.” We’ll see how things go for Waddle in the coming days, but hopefully this issue is behind him. Waddle is expected to play a big role in the Broncos’ passing game this season and profiles as a solid WR2.

Waddle has been working through a muscle strain, per head coach Sean Payton, since last week. It was reported on Thursday that he would return within 4-5 days, so we’re nearing the point where we would expect to see him on the field. He was seen working off to the side during Saturday’s practice, so hopefully another day or two of rest will be enough for him to return. Waddle is expected to be the top pass-catcher for the Broncos this season and was having a nice camp before going down.

That’s exactly the news fantasy managers were hoping to see after Waddle experienced “some muscle tightness” earlier in the week, prompting his time away from practice. The veteran free agent addition worked to the side Saturday and also shed the leg sleeve he had been seen to be wearing the previous two days, running with no changes in gait. Fantasy managers can breathe a sigh of relief as Waddle enters the year as the top option through the air for a dangerous Broncos team.

We had hoped to see Waddle get in a limited session today, after coach Sean Payton downplayed Waddle’s injury on Wednesday. Evidently, he needed at least one day off. The Broncos practiced in pads for three days straight before going padless today. If Waddle has to miss a session, we suppose a padless walkthrough day is the ideal one to miss. Hopefully, we see him back in action in some capacity before long.

Waddle left practice early and did not return. Given his lengthy injury history, the news gave fantasy managers a few hours of anxiety before Payton downplayed the issue. Waddle may get a few days of limited practice, but fantasy managers can keep drafting him as a high-ceiling WR2.

Broncos OC Davis Webb will add elements to Denver’s offense this season. Last year, the Broncos attempted the sixth-fewest (51) passes thrown 10-plus yards downfield and between the painted numbers. For reference, the league-leading Lions attempted 102 passes in this area of the field. Evans did not provide an average target depth in today’s report, but we are pleased to hear Webb is focusing on the middle of the field, regardless. Passes thrown in this area give the pass catcher more room to work, both before and after the catch, which helps them score fantasy points. Even a moderate increase in targets thrown to this area of the field would be great for QB Bo Nix and his pass catchers, like WR Jaylen Waddle and WR Courtland Sutton.

Astute readers might notice that Evans did not put the Broncos’ longtime WR1, Courtland Sutton, on that list. The cost to acquire Waddle from the Dolphins was not cheap, so anointing Waddle as the WR1 makes sense. The former Dolphin spent his career in Miami playing sidekick to WR Tyreek Hill, so it was fair to wonder if he might be slated for a WR2 role in Denver as well. If anything, this could be a 1A/1B situation, with Waddle operating as the 1A. Regardless, Sutton appears unbothered by Waddle’s presence, saying the Broncos’ offense is comprised of “guys that are willing to put their pride aside,” and celebrated the importance of selflessness. Waddle profiles as a WR2 while Sutton is perhaps best viewed in the WR3/FLEX tier.

This reinforces previous reports that Nix would be ready to take the practice field for the start of organized team activities, which are set to begin 2 June for the Broncos. That places the young quarterback well ahead of schedule following a broken ankle suffered in the team’s Divisional Round win last season. Nix being able to get additional practice reps before games matter is a big boost to the fantasy value of newcomer wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, who arrived with the team via trade with the Dolphins earlier in the offseason. Head coach Sean Payton added, “We’re going to be the ones kind of holding back, if you will.”

Payton added the Broncos will have “speed packages” for Waddle in the 2026 playbook. Acquired via trade this month, Waddle was used primarily as a slot wideout in his first couple seasons with the Dolphins before splitting snaps between the slot and boundary in 2024 and 2025 under Mike McDaniel. Waddle’s efficiency from the slot fell off in 2025 along with Miami’s offensive production. Bo Nix, meanwhile, ranked 27th out of 40 qualifying QBs last season in adjusted yards per attempt on throws to slot receivers. Nix ranked 29th in accuracy on slot attempts.