The Denver Broncos are not staying complacent during the 2026 offseason. Denver came very close to making the Super Bowl in 2025 but lost a brutal AFC Championship against the Patriots. The Broncos made an aggressive move on Tuesday, acquiring Jaylen Waddle from the Dolphins to supercharge their wide receiver room. Could they dominate the AFC after that big move?
ESPN's Stephen A. Smith made a bold claim about the Broncos following the Waddle trade. He claimed that Denver are now favorites in the AFC after adding Waddle.
“Denver made the move for Waddle following its loss in the AFC Championship game,” Smith said via The Stephen A. Smith Show on March 17th. “Waddle finished the year with 64 receptions, 910 yards, six touchdowns… Financially, the Broncos will be responsible for about $5 million of Waddle's $15.416 million guaranteed salary in 2026… I think this puts the Denver Broncos in a big-time situation right now. The Denver Broncos have to be looked upon as the favorites in the AFC.”
The addition of Waddle could have a transformative effect on Denver's offense. Waddle and Courtland Sutton should create problems for opposing secondaries. Denver's opponents can no longer sell out to stop their top receiver without leaving the other in one-on-one coverage.
Denver's defense is already one of the NFL's best. So it stands to reason that upgrading the offense could make them even more dangerous.
But Smith is not alone in hailing the Broncos as early AFC favorites.
Analyst Emmanuel Acho also declared the Broncos should be conference favorites following the Waddle trade.
The biggest question for the Broncos should be the health of QB Bo Nix after January's surprise injury announcement. If he can get back to full strength, the Broncos could be a problem in the AFC in 2026.
