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TrendRundown › Sports · updated Oct 26, 12:19 AM EDT

Jaylen Waddle Injury

Why it is trending in America today

Waddle hurt in Broncos win; Payton calls reverse play "awful"


Jaylen Waddle Injury
Photo: Gatorfan252525 / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Jaylen Waddle is trending after he left Denver's 30-16 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, Oct. 25, with a chest injury. Head coach Sean Payton then criticized his own reverse play call that preceded the injury.

Trending in the US since Oct 25, 11:20 PM EDT · about 500+ searches · covered by 3 news outlets

The story behind it

Denver acquired Waddle from Miami in a trade completed March 17, 2026. The Broncos sent a first-round pick (30th) along with two later picks to the Dolphins, and got Waddle plus a fourth-round pick (111th) in return. The Broncos' offense ranked 29th the previous season, and the team had been seeking help there.

Waddle had been limited in practice that week because of a chest problem, and the Sunday injury may be a worsening of that issue. This has not been confirmed. Earlier in the season he had missed a brief stretch with a shoulder injury.

The background

DENVER, Oct. 25 — Waddle, a Denver wide receiver, was hurt on a fourth-quarter play with 4:51 left in Sunday's game against the Cardinals. Denver had called a reverse for him, and quarterback Bo Nix tossed him the ball in the backfield. Waddle could not hold on to the pass, then fell to the ground after jumping on the loose ball to keep it from being turned over. The team listed the injury as a chest injury. He was listed as questionable to return and did not play again in the game.

After the game, Payton criticized the play call in his postgame news conference without being asked about it. He did not give a detailed update on Waddle's condition. The team has not confirmed a diagnosis or a timeline for his return.

What happens next

Denver faces the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 8, and the injury report will show whether Waddle is listed.

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Key facts

  • Waddle left the 30-16 win over the Cardinals on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026.
  • The injury came on a reverse play in the fourth quarter, with 4:51 left.
  • Denver lists the injury as a chest injury; the diagnosis has not been confirmed.
  • Payton criticized the play call, which he said was his own, in his postgame press conference without being asked about it.
  • Denver's next game is a Week 8 rematch with the Chiefs.

What we don't know yet

The diagnosis and how long Waddle may be out have not been announced.

Our summary of reporting by NBC Sports, Yahoo Sports, Sports Illustrated. Written with AI assistance and checked against the sources; read the full stories at the links below. Updated Oct 26, 12:21 AM EDT.

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Trend data

Jaylen Waddle Injury started trending in the US on Oct 25, 11:20 PM EDT, reaching about 500+ Google searches. 3 news outlets covered it in our feed, including Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports, NBC Sports. The earliest report we found came from Sports Illustrated at Oct 25, 6:35 AM EDT.

Search interest while it trended

Sources: what the outlets reported

How the story unfolded