The Denver Broncos largely ran back last year's roster for the 2026 campaign, with only a blockbuster trade for wide receiver Jaylen Waddle as the team's only major addition. Denver sent a first-round pick, as well as picks in the third and fourth rounds, to the Miami Dolphins to acquire him back in March.
Denver's hope was that Waddle would add more overall speed and juice after the catch to a fairly pedestrian wide receiver room. But in his Broncos debut, Waddle was basically nonexistent. The Kansas City Chiefs held him in check all night long.
Waddle nearly finishes with goose eggs in Denver debut
Waddle finished with just one catch for two yards on three targets. Most of his usage in the passing game was about clearing the Chiefs' defense out. It was a bit odd that Denver did not usher in more opportunities for him in his team debut.
But ideally (for K.C.), one opportunity Waddle did receive led to a deflating result for Denver. The Broncos threw a quick slant to Waddle on a 3rd-and-7 play with just over 10 minutes to go in the third quarter. Waddle had space between Chiefs defenders to slice up the field for an explosive play if he made that grab. However, Waddle dropped the ball, even as it was delivered to him in stride.
If he makes that grab, Waddle and the Broncos perhaps end up finishing that drive with points. If they get a touchdown, it would likely have been a 7-point lead for Kansas City, 21-14. Instead, Denver never got within 10 points as the second half played out.
Chiefs' defense showed major improvement out of the gate
Holding Waddle in check illustrates the key differences in the Chiefs' defense. While Steve Spagnuolo's unit will suffer growing pains with so many young, inexperienced players, he'll also reap the benefits of having so much more speed across the defense—especially when compared with last season. The Chiefs got much faster and more physical on that side of the ball this offseason and Waddle felt it.
Fans also saw K.C. defenders execute better than the visitors. The Chiefs tackled much better than the Broncos did all night. They were able to pressure both the quarterback and add tense moments for pass catchers like Waddle in traffic. Additionally, Kansas City was successful on money downs. Even though it is only one game to open the season, the Chiefs were already getting off the field much earlier than they did in 2025. What a difference that was.
For Denver, it was stunning to see how Waddle was used and how little he impacted things. Kansas City essentially took away the Broncos' best wide receiver. For him to finish as a non-factor was one of the many wins the Chiefs' defense came away with from Week 1.
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