NFL Network: Bills Were the Highest Bidder for Jaylen Waddle
Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network reports that the Buffalo Bills were the team that sent Miami the best offer for wide receiver Jaylen Waddle.
The Bills offered a 1st round pick in 2027 and a 3rd round pick in 2026; Miami wanted the first-round pick to be in 2026. Hence, the deal wasn’t done.
It is interesting, though, as the 2026 NFL Draft is considered “ordinary” by draft experts, as the 2027 draft is expected to be one of the all-time great drafts in NFL history, with the prospects that will be eligible to come out that year. So, interestingly, Miami put more value on the 2026 draft.
The Bills were the high bidder for Dolphins WR Jaylen Waddle and also tried to acquire then-Jets DL Quinnen Williams before Tuesday’s trade deadline, per sources.
In both cases, their AFC East rivals ultimately gave Buffalo no help in its push for a 6th straight division title. pic.twitter.com/GQrnJxm6dV
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 9, 2025
This season, Waddle has 41 receptions for 586 yards and four touchdowns.
He has stepped up into a larger role since Tyreek Hill went down to a season-ending injury.
Waddle’s production has also been hindered by lackluster quarterback play over the past two seasons, which highlights his value. If he were ever able to be on a roster with an above-average to top quarterback, his production would certainly improve.
For the Bills, this may have been a move to put them over the top in the AFC, as their roster is loaded, but it is very thin at the wide receiver position. So, their interest in Waddle isn’t surprising.
I do wonder if Miami didn’t make the trade because it was Buffalo, a division rival, or because their offer wasn’t good enough.
Inter-division trades aren’t unheard of; Miami traded DeVante Parker to the Patriots a few years back for a 3rd round pick. Going back further, the Patriots traded quarterback Drew Bledsoe to the Buffalo Bills.
For Miami, a team that is entering another rebuild, the draft capital would have been very helpful as they look to reshape this team in the vision of a new general manager and, most likely, a new head coach.
It will be fascinating to see what Miami does when it hires a new general manager in January or February, and whether that person revisits trading Waddle before the 2026 NFL Draft to acquire more draft capital at that time.
