Denver just handed Bo Nix a Pro Bowl receiver, and now training camp gets to answer the question that will define the Broncos season. Can this passing game actually be dangerous?
The Broncos traded for Jaylen Waddle earlier this offseason to pair him with Courtland Sutton. That is a legitimate 1-2 combination on paper. Waddle is a former first-round pick with real speed and separation. Sutton is a big-body possession receiver who catches contested balls. Those are complementary skill sets. The two of them together with Bo Nix in year two is the offense Sean Payton has been dreaming about since he got to Denver.
Payton is a smart offensive mind who has needed a real deep threat for years. Waddle is that guy. When the safeties have to respect his speed vertically, Sutton wins contested balls. When teams double Sutton to keep him out of the end zone, Waddle runs uncontested seams. And Marvin Mims Jr. is still there as a big-play third option.
Nix has to be the constant. He was a fine rookie in 2024 and improved in 2025 as the team figured out who he was. Now, in his third season, the training wheels come off. The Broncos are paying premium draft capital and salary to build a real passing game and Nix has to be the guy who makes it work.
His profile fits Payton’s system. Nix is accurate, decisive, and can throw off-platform. He does not have Patrick Mahomes arm talent, but he does not need to. He needs to hit the middle-of-the-field throws Payton loves and take his shots downfield when the defense breaks down.
The AFC West is going to be a war again. Kansas City is Kansas City until proven otherwise. The Chargers under Jim Harbaugh are building something real. Las Vegas is still figuring out its quarterback. Denver is the team most likely to make the leap.
The Broncos defense is already elite. Vance Joseph has that unit playing top-5 football with Patrick Surtain locking down a side of the field. If the offense can average 25 points per game, this is a playoff team. If it can average 28, this is a real threat to Kansas City.
Waddle-Sutton might not survive as a pairing past 2026 depending on cap decisions and Waddle’s contract. That makes this the year to see what the ceiling actually is. Payton believes he has finally built the offense he wants in Denver. Training camp is where the receipts start.
Set the over-under on Broncos points per game at 25. This offense is going to hit it.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
