Courtland Sutton pounded his fist into the ground four times, venting his frustration after getting hit in the ribs and dropping a third-down pass.
Or maybe it was frustration at something more. Perhaps it was the culmination of a season’s worth of frustrations for Sutton, who is off to the worst start of his career.
The Broncos’ top two wide receivers, Jaylen Waddle and Sutton, have barely made an impact this season. Both are on pace to set lows in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns. The wide receiver duo that was projected to rank among the league’s best has been rendered largely ineffective.
Before this season, Sutton averaged 25 catches for 361 yards in the Broncos’ first six games. He has totaled just 13 catches for 123 yards so far this season.
Meanwhile, Waddle has played 84 NFL games. Four of his 10 lowest single-game receiving yardage totals — and five of his 20 lowest — have come in his first six games with the Broncos.
What gives? Why can’t the Broncos get the ball to two of their highest-paid players? Why is Waddle frustrated enough during games to slam his helmet on the bench? And why have Sutton and Nix seemingly lost the third-down rhythm they established over the past two seasons?
There isn’t one clear answer to those questions. Nix’s struggles are inherently tied to the Broncos’ inability to get their receivers involved. He isn’t pushing the ball downfield, where both Sutton and Waddle have been most effective. At this point, Denver’s passing offense has largely been reduced to checkdowns to running backs and tight ends, often for short gains near the sidelines.
Opposing defenses understand that. Nix and the offense have struggled to force teams out of two-high safety looks and shell coverage, but the answer seems relatively simple: They haven’t consistently made defenses pay for staying in those looks.
“I don’t know where the disconnect is right now, to be honest with you,” Nix said. “I just think we’re really for some reason struggling to find those explosive plays.”
Last season, Sutton recorded 21 catches for 255 yards and three touchdowns on passes traveling at least 20 yards downfield, according to Next Gen Stats. Waddle was also effective in that area, posting 14 catches for 35.2 yards per catch. Those numbers helped make the pair an intriguing combination of size, contested-catch ability and downfield speed. So far, the Broncos haven’t consistently translated those strengths into production.
Those struggles don’t fall squarely on Nix, though.
Sutton has looked a step slower than he has in years past, struggling to separate against man coverage. He has always been a bigger-bodied receiver who relies more on contested catches and body positioning than elite route running. But his 2.9 yards of separation on routes run this year is actually the highest since 2023, according to Next Gen Stats.
Thursday night told a similar story for Sutton, who caught just two passes for 19 yards. Sutton has built his career on winning physical battles and making difficult catches. When those plays aren’t there, the Broncos lose much of what makes him effective.
Wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (17) of the Denver Broncos pulls in a catch while being tackled by cornerback Trevon Diggs (16) of the Seattle Seahawks during second half of a 17-14 overtime Broncos win on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver. (Photo by Timothy Hurst/The Denver Post)
Meanwhile, since the Jacksonville game, Waddle and Nix haven’t been on the same page. Nix is trying to get him involved: He has targeted the heralded wide receiver 25 times over the past four games. But whether because of inaccurate throws, drops or miscommunication, the pairing hasn’t found its rhythm.
Nix acknowledged a “disconnect” in the Broncos’ offense after Thursday’s game. The connection between the quarterback and his top wide receiver appears to be one of the most pressing issues.
Waddle looked engaged Thursday, celebrating with his teammates after Wil Lutz’s game-winning kick. There was little outward sign that the Broncos needed to worry about their star wide receiver publicly demanding the ball.
“No frustration. We all just working. We all got to come and go to get better each and every week. So just growing pains,” Waddle told The Denver Post after Thursday’s win.
Sutton has struck a similar tone, emphasizing that his approach won’t change just because the offense hasn’t produced the way he wants.
“Not allowing the circumstance to dictate my attitude, my effort, the way that I come to work,” Sutton said.
“Day by day, that’s come to work every day, smile on my face, ready to work. You never know when the ball’s gonna find you and I feel like the moment that you decide to take a step down, take a step away from it because things aren’t the way you want to go in that specific moment, that’s when you start to see failure creep in.”
That approach matters, but it doesn’t solve the Broncos’ bigger problem.
Denver has invested heavily in receiving talent. The Broncos have a quarterback who has shown he can build connections with his top targets, and two receivers with different strengths who should give the offense options against a variety of coverages. Yet the passing game has too often failed to turn those advantages into explosive plays.
The solution won’t necessarily be as simple as throwing the ball to Sutton and Waddle more often. Denver needs to create opportunities for them to win downfield, improve the timing between Nix and his receivers and punish defenses for taking away the deep ball. Until that happens, the Broncos risk wasting one of the offense’s most important strengths.
Sutton’s reaction Thursday was only one moment in a long season. But with the Broncos still seeking answers in the passing game, it was a reminder of just how frustrating that search has become.
Want more Broncos news? Sign up for the Broncos Insider to get all our NFL analysis.