1 catch for 2 yards.
That was the stat line for Jaylen Waddle‘s debut with the Broncos. His lack of involvement in the offense was curious, and it was a disappointing start to his Broncos career after all the talk and hype this offseason. Well, it appears Waddle was saving his big debut for the home crowd in Mile High because the Broncos receiver exploded for 8 catches for 138 yards vs. the Jaguars on Sunday.
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He showed off his big-play ability with a 49-yard reception from quarterback Bo Nix while also making big plays in key moments throughout the game. After the game on Sunday, head coach Sean Payton told reporters: “I am glad he (Waddle) is ours”.
Payton added that Waddle’s impact on Sunday’s game was “significant” and that he just got done giving his explosive wide receiver a game ball for his performance.
“It was significant. I just gave him a game ball. You can see the explosiveness, the run after the catch, all of those things. I’m glad he’s ours.”
Waddle showed off his playmaking ability throughout this one and lived up to the hype we heard all offseason. The Broncos have been lacking a true playmaker like this for years now, and it is exciting to see what Waddle can do from here on out.
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The players are excited too. Veteran wide receiver Courtland Sutton told reporters after the game that he has been “cheesin” and that he believes that this is just the tip of the iceberg for Waddle. He added that they have more plays in their back pocket for the Broncos’ explosive wide receiver that they haven’t even gotten to yet.
Broncos quarterback Bo Nix couldn’t hold back his excitement for Waddle either. During his postgame press conference, he was initially asked about rookie running back Jonah Coleman, but Nix wanted to talk about Waddle.
“First, [WR] Jaylen [Waddle] played great. He had a great game. [He] did a great job in man, did a great job in zone. Started off with that big completion down the field and that sort of got him going. He just showed his swagger all day, he showed enthusiasm, he’s got a passion about him, he’s just a great teammate and he just plays the right way, and he gets rewarded because of it.”
Head coach Sean Payton is excited, quarterback Bo Nix can’t hide his excitement, and Courtland Sutton is still somewhere cheesin’. There was a lot of hype and excitement for Waddle heading into the season, and he proved why on Sunday. This should be the first of many big games for Waddle, and like Sean Payton, I am glad Jaylen Waddle is ours too.
