Denver’s trade for Jaylen Waddle immediately reshapes expectations for Troy Franklin. The young receiver, who led the Broncos in targets last season with 104, says he’s ready to adjust, compete and keep defenses guessing—even as he admits his target share coul
Troy Franklin remembers last season’s workload like a measuring stick. He finished Denver’s team lead with 104 targets. 65 catches. 709 receiving yards and six touchdowns—more than anyone else on the roster. Only Courtland Sutton topped him in the most important categories: targets, catches, receiving yards and touchdowns.
So when the Broncos moved to acquire Jaylen Waddle, the change didn’t land somewhere abstract. It landed right on Franklin’s routine—how many times he’d see the ball, what his week would look like, and how his role would be defined.
“Coming in who’s a first-rounder,” Franklin said Tuesday, speaking to Luca Evans of The Denver Post. “We traded high value for him, and he’s going to get his touches, you know?”
Franklin didn’t frame the situation like a complaint. He treated it like a requirement. His focus shifted to how Denver avoids becoming obvious the moment a superstar arrives.
“But I think the same thing to where we’re not just going to be predictable,” Franklin said. “Oh, yeah, we’re giving 17 [Waddle] the ball every play. It’s just one of those deals where I think we just always gotta be ready.”
That “ready” part matters because Franklin’s immediate personal goal was already set before the trade. Before Denver acquired Waddle, Franklin said he was aiming for his first 1,000-yard season in 2026. With Waddle expected to command the offense—and Sutton also expected to take a significant share of targets—Franklin acknowledged that his path to 1. 000 yards no longer looks straightforward.
If his targets decrease, though, the message from Franklin is that his opportunities may become sharper, not smaller. He described it as a trade of volume for matchups and looks.
“Obviously, I think it’s a bit of both,” Franklin told Evans. “You got a guy coming in like that — obviously he’s getting paid more than me, or whatever the case is. I feel like that’s the thought any receiver has when they get somebody coming into the receiver room, you know?”
He then pulled the conversation back to what he believes he can control: competition, confidence, and preparation.
“But I know me, personally, I’m always up for a challenge, competition,” Franklin said. “I’m hyper-competitive. I know what I can do out there, man. Especially just building off of last year.”
Franklin’s plan now is to translate his 2023 production into something that fits the new picture—figuring out exactly where he lands in the offense once Waddle is in the building.
“I’m just building now, with him there. Trying to figure out my role in the offense now, and all that good stuff. And it’s been going good, man.”
That’s the tension Denver now faces through Franklin’s eyes: a teammate acquisition that almost certainly changes target math, paired with Franklin’s belief that the Broncos don’t have to become predictable just because the ball could land in Waddle’s hands.
Troy Franklin Denver Broncos Jaylen Waddle Courtland Sutton NFL wide receivers trade for Waddle 2026 season player role