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Dolphins Trade Jaylen Waddle to Broncos, Boosting AFC West Rivalry
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- Dolphins Trade Jaylen Waddle to Broncos, Boosting AFC West Rivalry
Andy Reid didn't find much success in his 13th season with the Kansas City Chiefs . After beginning 2025 with a 5-3 record, the Chiefs would go on to lose eight of their final nine games, finishing at 6-11 and missing the playoffs for the first time since 2014. To make matters worse, quarterback Patrick Mahomes saw his season end early after tearing his ACL in Week 15.
Now, the Chiefs have turned to the offseason in hopes of returning to the playoffs. And while it has lost a few key players, Kansas City has also added some. This includes the addition of former Seattle Seahawks running back and Super Bowl LX MVP Kenneth Walker III , along with defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga and safety Alohi Gilman . But the Chiefs aren't the only team in the AFC West making serious moves.
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Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and head coach Andy Reid.Denny Medley-Imagn Images
Jaylen Waddle , after a solid college career with the Alabama Crimson Tide , was selected by the Miami Dolphins with the No. 6 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. The wide receiver immediately broke onto the scene during his rookie year in Miami, recording a career-high 104 catches for 1,015 and six touchdowns.
But in 2022, former Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill was traded to the Dolphins, forming one of the best pass-catching duos in the NFL with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa . With Hill's arrival, Waddle saw his production dip over the next four seasons, including in 2025, when he tallied 64 catches for 910 yards and six touchdowns.
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But Tuesday, a few weeks after releasing Hill and Tagovailoa, the Dolphins decided it was time for another change, trading Waddle, along with a 2026 fourth-round pick, to the Denver Broncos in exchange for 2026 first-, third- and fourth-round picks. The move gives Bo Nix and the AFC West champion Broncos a serious threat at wide receiver, and Reid and the Chiefs, who have lost two of their top cornerbacks, will now have to deal with Waddle at least twice a year.
"Breaking: The Dolphins are trading WR Jaylen Waddle and a 2026 4th-round pick to the Broncos, sources told @AdamSchefter," ESPN wrote on X. "Denver will send this year's 1st-round pick as well as its late 3rd and 4th-round picks to Miami."
Nix and the Broncos now have a wideout tandem of Waddle and Courtland Sutton , who finished 2026 with 74 catches for 1,017 yards and seven touchdowns.
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Mar 17, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
