Jaylen Waddle and Pat Surtain II may never actually square up in the ring.
Their training camp battles this summer, though, should be pay-per-view quality.
Waddle is officially the Broncos’ new wide receiver after he passed his physical on Wednesday and the club announced the terms of its blockbuster trade with Miami.
Waddle went viral just days before the trade actually materialized when he was asked who in the NFL he’d like to fight and he, in very colorful terms, called out his former teammate and longtime friend Surtain and said he would dominate.
“I still stand on what I said about Pat,” Waddle told reporters in an introductory conference call Wednesday afternoon.
The call didn’t feature video, but it was easy to sense Waddle’s smile on the other end of the line. The same kind of wattage, perhaps, that he flashed when on FaceTime with Surtain shortly after news of the trade broke Tuesday morning.
Jaylen Waddle and Pat Surtain II seem happy. pic.twitter.com/rquSmrirhh
— Parker Gabriel (@ParkerJGabriel) March 17, 2026
“It was special. He was one of the first calls that I made,” Waddle said of Surtain. “We talked about this early in our career, that we wanted to get together and play with each other.
“Seeing it happen, it’s special.”
The pair starred together at Alabama. Then Waddle was drafted No. 6 overall by Miami in 2021. Three picks later, the Broncos took Surtain.
Now they are teammates again and will see plenty of each other on opposite sides of the line of scrimmage this offseason before attempting to lead Denver toward a championship this fall.
“It’s exciting just playing with great players,” Waddle said. “Everyone is talking about how great and close the team is. I’m excited to be around the guys, get to know them, and they get to know me and go from there.”
Jaylen Waddle #17 of the Miami Dolphins takes the field prior to a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Hard Rock Stadium on December 28, 2025 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
Denver has coveted Waddle, with his elite speed and versatility, for some time. General manager George Paton and head coach Sean Payton had interest in trading for Waddle at the trade deadline during the 2025 season, though a deal never materialized.
Waddle said he heard of Denver’s interest during that stretch.
“It was hearsay, so you never know what’s true and what’s not true,” Waddle said. “But you could say I was (aware).”
Now he’s officially a Bronco.
Waddle arrived in town late in the day Tuesday. A source told The Post that quarterback Bo Nix and several other current players took Waddle to dinner on his first night in town.
“It feels like home, feels like family,” Waddle said Wednesday. “Everyone has been welcoming. It’s been great.”
On the field, he’ll slot in right at the top of Denver’s receiver group along with Courtland Sutton.
Denver has plowed money into its offensive and defensive lines and extended 10 players over the past 18 months, but perhaps no group has received more extensive and consistent investment than the receivers.
The Broncos drafted Marvin Mims Jr. in the second round in 2023, then traded up to select Troy Franklin at the very top of the fourth round. They used a third-rounder on Pat Bryant last spring, then signed Sutton to a four-year, $92 million extension before the regular season.
Now they’ve traded their first-round pick in next month’s draft plus third and fourth-rounders for Waddle and a fourth.
That kind of investment requires upper-echelon production from the group going forward.
Waddle will only just start getting to know his new teammates in the coming weeks, but he’s already confident Denver’s receiver group can provide just that.
“I don’t think there’s any true No. 1 (receiver),” Waddle said. “Everybody is just here to make plays and to win. … It’s going to be a fun group. They’ve got a lot of talent. Court, Marv, Troy (Franklin), Pat, Lil’Jordan (Humphrey).
“I’m here to help in every fashion. Making plays and learning. I’m excited to learn from them and for them to learn from me. It should be fun. It should be great.”
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