Whether it's with himself, the team's struggling offense, his quarterback, or a combination of all three, Denver Broncos wide receiver Jaylen Waddle is clearly frustrated.
Early in the second quarter of Sunday's win over the Los Angeles Chargers, CBS cameras caught Waddle's apparent dissatisfaction with a 3rd-and-9 play. From the shotgun, quarterback Bo Nix called out "alert," which some fans and pundits have interpreted as Nix changing the play (it's unclear without asking Nix himself).
Nix then took the snap and handed the ball to Tyler Badie, who was tackled well short of the line to gain, leading to a punt. After the play, Waddle looked up into the sky before yanking off his chin straps. Waddle appeared to shake his head as he trotted to the bench,
and coach Sean Payton had a brief exchange with the receiver on the sideline.
Video of the play and Waddle's reaction has drawn more than one million views on Twitter/X:
Pay attention to Jaylen Waddle and Bo Nix after this run😭 pic.twitter.com/21feUnewVR
— ᴄʜᴀsᴇ (@BolieveInNix) October 11, 2026
Later in the game, after Courtland Sutton failed to haul in a contested catch on a play in which Waddle was open, the receiver was animated as he left the field, slamming his helmet on the sideline after a three-and-out.
Waddle finished the day with two catches for 19 yards on five targets. He also had a nine-yard run on Sunday.
While Waddle certainly has good reason to be frustrated with Denver's struggling offense, he hasn't been perfect himself. Waddle had another drop in Week 5, and Pro Football Focus now credits him with four drops through five games. Waddle is an explosive, dynamic weapon, and the Broncos would be wise to get him more involved, but the 27-year-old receiver could help his case by displaying reliable hands when he is targeted.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: Broncos WR Jaylen Waddle went viral after visible frustration on Sunday
