The Miami Dolphins shocked the NFL world last month when they traded wide receiver Jaylen Waddle and a draft pick to the Denver Broncos for a bundle of three picks in the 2026 NFL draft, including one in the first round.
Waddle was one of the most productive receivers in the NFL during his five seasons with the Dolphins, catching 373 passes for 5,039 yards and 26 touchdowns despite spending most of that time as Miami’s second option behind Tyreek Hill.
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While the trade happened weeks ago, new Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan hadn’t publicly spoken about the deal, so he addressed the move earlier this week.
“I was not actively shopping. (Broncos GM George Paton) called. We had good conversations,” Sullivan said (transcribed by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel). “We talked over the period of a lot of days. What became clear to me was, this was the right thing to do for the Miami Dolphins. Waddle is 27 years old. We’re in an era where the market for receivers is through the roof.
“We’re in a position with our roster where we need to get younger and cheaper. It was in the best interest of the Miami Dolphins to get two rookie players, if I do my job right, if we do our job right as a personnel staff, that will be on rookie contracts that we can grow with, with Malik (Willis).”
While the return for the former first-round pick was strong, Miami needs to nail these picks because Waddle is in his prime and could’ve been a great weapon for Willis (or whoever’s under center) for years to come.
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This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: Dolphins GM explains why he traded WR Jaylen Waddle to the Broncos