So Grove bragged. He bragged about alumni like offensive lineman Donovan Jackson, a first-round pick by the Minnesota Vikings in 2025. He bragged about alumni like Jaguars offensive lineman Walker Little, and former Eagles defensive tackle Marvin Wilson. And most of all, he bragged about Waddle.

Eventually, Grove asked for questions. One kid’s hand went up.

“Is it true,” this eighth-grader asked, right off the bat, “that Jaylen Waddle was just traded?”

For the rest of the morning, a Houston-suburb high school campus of about 800 students became obsessed with the Denver Broncos. Partly because this was a group of 16-to-18-year-old kids, after all, in a football-obsessed state. Partly because Waddle’s former high school coach, Steve Leisz, blasted out word of Waddle’s trade to Denver to about “500 of my closest friends on campus,” as Leisz said. But mostly because Waddle, now a 27-year-old star NFL wide receiver, still magnetizes eyeballs whenever he sidles back through Bellaire.

In the early lunch window on Tuesday, Episcopal teachers and students buzzed amongst themselves about the Waddle trade. One sophomore came up to Grove in the cafeteria, grabbed the athletic director’s shoulders, and gloated.

“Did you see it?” the kid said, as Grove recalled. “Did you see it? Jay’s got a quarterback that����ap going to get him the ball.”

The people who best know who Jaylen Waddle can be as a Denver Bronco live here in Bellaire, Texas. Episcopal offensive coordinator Kary Kemble once remarked that this 5-foot-nothing receiver with Houdini-level escapeability was “magic,” and it stuck. To this day, the football staff still calls Waddle “Magic” whenever he comes through town. He has been anointed for no-doubt stardom since the Army All-American Bowl in 2018, when Waddle first crossed paths with Pat Surtain II.

And then Surtain II anointed Waddle himself, as the two became best friends and ringleaders of another wave of NFL talent at Alabama.

“If you got a pot, tin pots of characteristics — their pot is the elite,” said Karl Scott, who was Alabama’s cornerbacks coach from 2018 to 2020. “It is very few people in that pot. And I think, as they got to that pot and looked around, it’s like, ‘Hey, you’re here. And you’re here. All right.’ That’s almost how I envision it.”

A few years into their NFL journeys, though, Surtain’s pot shrank and Waddle’s widened. After three straight 1,000-yard seasons with the Dolphins, Waddle’s ball production dipped sharply during two losing seasons in Miami in 2024 and 2025. Starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa played in 25 of 34 regular-season games. The Dolphins finished with the league’s 25th-best passing offense in 2025, and defenses keyed in more on Waddle after top WR Tyreek Hill’s season-ending injury. Miami fired general manager Chris Grier in October, fired head coach Mike McDaniel in January, cut Hill and Tagovailoa in February and March, and capped off a full-scale rebuild by trading Waddle to the Broncos this week.

On a conference call with local reporters Wednesday, Waddle shrugged off any notion that he views the move to Denver as a chance to recapture early-career momentum, simply saying the trade brings “new beginnings.”

“I just look at it as — a new opportunity to go out there with a new team in a great place, and play alongside great talent, and try to help out as best I can,” Waddle said.

Privately, though, those who’ve helped write Waddle’s story — from the Houston suburbs to the Rocky Mountains, now — see the Broncos’ all-in swing for Waddle as a spark to re-ignite his stardom.

To become Magic, again.

The prince of Bellaire

Everybody in Houston, Texas, knew him. They still do. Waddle is a diminutive deity in Texas, where whispers of his spirit twist across baseball diamonds and basketball courts and football fields from Bellaire to the Woodlands to Dallas. Late in one junior-varsity game during his freshman season at Episcopal, Waddle lined up with the clock ticking away on a potential comeback win.

The other team, Episcopal staffers remember, put five defenders on Waddle. He caught a goal-line touchdown anyway.

“That����ap when the first few moments of like, the mystique — the legend of Jaylen Waddle — was beginning to grow,” Grove said.

In Waddle’s freshman year, Leisz put Waddle out for his first varsity snap on the return team for a playoff game against St. Mark’s High in Dallas. St. Mark’s kicked to him. Waddle took it 75 yards to the house.

In Waddle’s sophomore year, Episcopal’s basketball team played St. Stephen’s Episcopal School, a program from Austin. St. Stephen’s had budding 7-footer Jarrett Allen, a now All-Star center with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Episcopal had 5-foot-10 Waddle. He went up off a rebound during one fast break, Grove remembers, and dunked on Allen.

In Waddle’s junior year, he took a punt return and put his foot in the ground. Two gunners dove at him. Waddle accelerated. He slipped through so quickly, Leisz remembers, that the two would-be tacklers hit their heads on each other.

In Waddle’s senior year, Episcopal lost its quarterback for a game due to injury. Leisz put Waddle behind center, so he could touch the ball off the snap. He scored six touchdowns.

“He could get himself out of a fix, he could get himself out of a jam, he could get himself out of trouble,” said Kemble, Episcopal’s offensive coordinator. “It wasn’t coached. We didn’t coach that. He was God-given talent.”

Getting Waddle to this point was one thing. He grew up in Acre Homes, a majority-Black neighborhood in the Houston suburbs with a median household income of about $36,000 in 2019, Waddle’s mother, Ishea Cotton — his “rock,” as Grove said — pushed to get Waddle into Episcopal, that has 600-plus applicants for roughly 200 spots in any given school year. Waddle didn’t want to be there his first week, as he once recalled to Leisz. He came around quickly.

From there, most everything ended up easy, even when the situation was hard. While recruiting Waddle to Alabama, legendary ex-HC Nick Saban told him there would be no guarantees; the Crimson Tide already had future first-round draft picks Jerry Jeudy, DeVonta Smith and Henry Ruggs III in the room, after all. The best players played, Saban told Waddle. So Saban asked him: Are you the best player?

“Without a doubt,” Waddle responded instantly, as Leisz remembered.

He went for 848 yards as a true freshman, led the country in punt-return yards as a sophomore, and led the SEC in yards per catch as a junior. After the Dolphins drafted Waddle at No. 6 overall in 2021, he broke the NFL rookie record for catches (104), then went for 1,356 yards in his second season. His legacy became larger than life in his hometown before his life had even truly begun. Waddle left a heap of tickets for Episcopal staffers for a Dolphins-Texans joint training-camp practice in Houston in 2023, and teachers and alumni filled the stands at NRG Stadium in 2024 when Miami came back to town.

But those from back home, where memories of Magic still sit fresh on the tip of tongues, sense there could be more. Waddle ranked 38th in the NFL in targets last year in Miami, and tied for 60th the year before.

“Jaylen certainly has always brought incredible pride to all of us here at Episcopal High School — brought honor back to us,” Grove said. “But we’re always – we’re kinda waiting for him to take another step.

“Because we all know that he’s capable, of doing it.”

Teammates once again

In Denver, now, Waddle will be pushed daily by a cornerback who’s become family. And Waddle will push right back, just as he’s done for years, on Pat Surtain.

“Pat is not really much of a talker,” said Mike Weber, Surtain’s cousin and a longtime mutual friend. “But if anybody does get him to talk, or talk (expletive) on the field when they go up, it’s definitely Jaylen.”

In the summer of 2018, early in the first padded scrimmage of their freshman years at Alabama, Surtain (running with the 1s) matched up with Waddle (running with the 2s) in the slot. Man-to-man. And Waddle torched Surtain. Veterans on the starting defense grumbled.

Safety Xavier McKinney, then a sophomore, came to secondary-coach Scott and told him they needed to get it right. The implication was obvious. So Scott caught Surtain coming off the field, worried he’d lose the kid mentally if he didn’t check on him.

“Pat, you good?” Scott asked.

Surtain’s eyes, Scott remembered, were somewhere else. Then he snapped to. He turned back to Scott with a strange look.

“Yeah,” Surtain scoffed, as Scott recalled. “What, am I not supposed to be good?”

He was competing against himself, Scott realized. So was Waddle. The two soon began competing with each other, and became Frick and Frack off the field, as Scott said. They moved into an apartment together eventually at Alabama, and Waddle would occasionally come back with Surtain to his family’s house in South Florida during season breaks. The Surtains had a basketball hoop in their backyard, and cornerback and receiver would wage war there, too.

The two would stagger back into the house, sweaty, looking a mess and talking a mess, too.

“It’s just, in them,” Surtain Sr. told The Post.

Their families sat next to each other in the green room in 2021’s draft; Waddle hugged Surtain’s parents when he went at pick No. 6 to Miami, and Surtain hugged Waddle’s parents when he went at pick No. 9 to Denver. They trained together for their first few offseasons in the NFL. And they hatched ideas, early in their careers, of playing with each other one day.

It nearly became a reality at the 2025 trade deadline. Denver didn’t pull the trigger on Miami’s asking price for Waddle at the time. But the possibility of the receiver coming to Denver was “known for a while,” as one team source told The Post. And felt, certainly, by Surtain.

“When Tyreek was let go and then Tua was let go,” Surtain Sr. told The Post, “you kinda felt that the Dolphins were going in a different direction. They wanted to start anew. And the conversation would come up between us — me and Pat — about them getting Jay. And then Pat would say he’s talked to people about it, but that nothing’s come to fruition.”

Waddle knew it was a possibility, too. He never made a public fuss across two dysfunctional years in Miami, as Hill dominated negative headlines and the Dolphins entered a downward spiral. Privately, though — as Waddle caught passes from five different starting quarterbacks in 2024 and 2025 — the situation was “definitely frustrating” for the receiver, as Weber said.

The Dolphins entered a new era last week, signing former backup QB Malik Willis to a three-year contract. Waddle would’ve been perfectly OK with Willis throwing him the ball in Miami, Weber said.

“But I know if he had it his way, he would rather be in Denver,” Weber said. “And it worked out.”

Indeed, the Broncos pushed their chips in last week and gambled a true haul: a late first-round (No. 30), third-round (No. 94) and fourth-round pick (No. 130) for Waddle and a fourth-rounder (No. 111). General manager George Paton called Waddle on Tuesday to deliver the news that he was coming to Denver. Waddle’s mother Ishea excitedly told Leisz she was going to have to get a new set of gear. Weber, who lives in Denver and does marketing work for both Waddle and Surtain, practically jumped for joy at the news.

“I already knew it was coming, just speaking it into existence,” Weber said. “It����ap been about a year that we’ve been pounding the table, on this.”

The trade was a “total win,” Leisz said, knowing Waddle would be reunited with a blood brother in Surtain. And sparks will fly come training camp, as iron sharpens iron.

“Jaylen is very quiet off the field,” Leisz said. “And on the field? He is not quiet.

“So I can only imagine that first practice, when those two line up with each other — you’ll probably hear it in the stands.”

‘A competitive son of a gun’

Saban, the one-time legendary Alabama figurehead, has never been one to wrestle with decisions. But Waddle’s situation, in January 2021, stumped him.

Three months earlier, as Waddle was streaking towards an All-American campaign in his junior year, the receiver broke his ankle on the opening kickoff of an October game against Tennessee. He . But Waddle rehabbed aggressively enough for a return date around the Crimson Tide’s national-championship matchup with Ohio State Jan. 11 — as he was also headed for a top-of-first-round selection in the draft. It left Saban wondering if he should play him.

“I’ll never forget, in the staff meeting, Saban kinda opened it up,” Scott recalled. “Like, ‘What do you guys think? Because I don’t know. I don’t know.'”

Eventually, Saban decided to just ask Waddle. Doctors told the receiver it would hurt, but he could play, as Leisz recalled. So Waddle played.

He caught three passes on a less-than-100% ankle, and Alabama won a national title.

“He was a competitive son of a gun, man,” Scott said. “He might be all of 5-foot-10 right now. But inside of him, man, it was like he was 6-foot-10.”

The Waddle trade is quite literally unprecedented in Broncos head coach Sean Payton’s career. In 18 seasons as an NFL head coach, Payton’s organizations only ever swung a trade for one previous wide receiver: Bethel Johnson in 2006, who Payton promptly cut before the season began. The Broncos head coach has a particular type of receiver — big — and has generally maneuvered his teams to draft and develop at the position.

On the field, though, Waddle can be the key to unlocking the two-high-safety seal that opposing defenses often threw at Denver in 2025. Secondaries often shaded towards Broncos No. 1 wideout Courtland Sutton last year, and quarterback Bo Nix rarely had a consistent coverage-beating option. No. 2 WR Troy Franklin has caught just nine of 41 attempts of 20-plus air yards across two years in the NFL, according to Next Gen Stats.

Waddle’s speed, though, gives Denver another legitimate vertical threat to stretch the field for the rest of Nix’s weapons.

“They’ve just diversified themselves even more than they already were,” said Scott, who’s now the secondary coach for the reigning Super Bowl-champion Seahawks. “I mean, you talk about a team that just went to the AFC Championship Game. So, how much more help do they need?”

Waddle is also “over the moon,” as Weber said, at the prospect of playing more reps in the slot. He played 51% of his snaps there in 2021, before shifting primarily to playing outside with McDaniel’s arrival in 2022. And his versatility and production between the hashes gives the Broncos the kind of explosive receiving target they haven’t had in the Payton era.

“With Mike McDaniel’s offense, it was timing,” Surtain Sr. said, who was a defensive assistant for the Dolphins in 2022. “Because Tua was that kinda quarterback. Boom – get to his fifth step, let the ball go, Jay (on) in-breaking cuts. But I think it����ap way more than that with Jaylen. I think he can run the whole route tree.

“Obviously,” Surtain Sr. continued, “he’s a deep threat with his speed and explosiveness. He can run every route. And I think it����ap going to be even more scary with Bo’s escapability … you’re going to see a lot of plays that break down where Jay gets open.”

Waddle fits the Payton profile in all but size, which is equally important. Waddle’s grit was “unquestioned” in Miami’s pre-draft evaluation, for one, after that junior-year return, as former Dolphins receiver coach Josh Gizzard said. The Saban pedigree means something in Denver, where Payton has hired multiple former Crimson Tide graduate assistants and drafted multiple former players. And the receiver comes off as agreeable off the field — without being docile.

“Don’t get me wrong, Jaylen’s a diva on the field,” Leisz said. “He wants the football. There’s no doubt about that.”

Coaches still know Waddle as the same kid in high school whose mother called before one game to report that he had a 100-plus-degree fever. Not to hold him out. To get them to hold him out. For an entire game, Kemble, the team’s offensive coordinator, had to sit by Waddle on the bench to make sure he didn’t tug on his helmet and sneak onto the field.

“I don’t think he’s lost any of that,” Kemble said. “I don’t think he’s lost that zeal.”

The Broncos are betting on it.

When seeking a playmaker, the Broncos required a receiver who could beat any coverage and fit in their culture.

Coach Sean Payton did not spend three years creating a tight, like-minded locker room only to stuff Mentos into the Coca-Cola bottle.

He fought to clean up Nathaniel Hazmat’s mess, fought to win the division, fought to reach the AFC Championship Game.

A dynamic weapon to goose their offense was not coming from the 30th overall pick in the NFL Draft. The best running back (Jeremiyah Love) and tight end (Kenyon Sadiq) would have been long gone, and no matter what you think of receivers Omar Cooper or KC Concepcion, there was zero chance they were making Jaylen Waddle’s impact.

The last two rookie receivers in Payton’s offense, Troy Franklin and Pat Bryant, combined for 59 catches, 641 yards and three touchdowns. Waddle has averaged 75 receptions, 1,008 yards and five scores every season.

So, for those lamenting the lost draft picks, get over it. Were you saving them for Secret Santa gifts? My word.

The Broncos were one converted fourth-and-1 from winning the Super Bowl. They are not playing for the future.

Waddle helps them win now. But not just because of who he is as a player, but who he is as a person. There is no beaker to pour in the exact amount of characteristics to create strong chemistry.

But spend any time around the Broncos, it is obvious they have it. Star defensive end Zach Allen told me last season that (bleepity, bleeps) need not apply.

“We have none of them,” Allen said. “You are going to be the odd man out if you are.”

So the challenge for general manager George Paton and Payton was to be brilliant, bold and selective. Character mattered.

Waddle delivers, perhaps more off the field than on it.

He left a vapor trail of long plays and 100 yards of smiles.

Let’s start with the best story told by former Three years ago, Waddle befriended 6-year-old cancer patient Rocco Passaro. His parents, Raymond and Ida, viewed Rocco as a superhero. But with their son facing a potential bone marrow transplant, they braced for the worst.

They asked him to compile a bucket list. Going to a Dolphins game was near the top. The family got connected to the team and it wasn’t long before Rocco was on the sideline.

“Rocco is definitely someone that is special. We have a special a bond, and I think that����ap just going to continue (no matter) where I play at,” Waddle said Wednesday. “He has family in me on his side.”

Waddle, 27, went beyond a meet-and-greet. He connected with Rocco, face-timed him, received updates on his health, and their relationship was credited for helping Rocco beat leukemia.

This story folds into who the Broncos are. They received ESPN’s 2022 Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year Award for their work in the community. Service before self is in Waddle’s DNA.

When the Dolphins released a thank you post on Twitter, the highlights featured Waddle hanging out with a boy wearing his jersey before a game, posing for pictures with Boys&Girls Clubs members and teaching his penguin celebration dance to kids.

This stuff matters in Denver. Folks roll their eyes, but it is real. The competition for their Walter Payton Man of the Year is more competitive than for team MVP.

“I’m definitely going to get in the community and do something. I know ‘PS2’ (Pat Surtain II) is going to help me find different things to get into,” said Waddle, who was part of Alabama’s 2018 recruiting class with Surtain and teammates with him on the 2020 national championship team. “I know he does a lot of good things out here.”

Why should you care? Simple. It will allow Waddle to assimilate seamlessly, increasing the likelihood he makes an early impact.

Which brings us to another salient point. The question Waddle faced four months from his first training camp in his first year with his new team: Does he see himself as the No. 1 receiver?

Mind you, this position features more divas than “Moulin Rouge.” Receivers have cratered seasons with me-over-we buffoonery.

Waddle did not take the bait. His goals are team goals.

This is not a front. After the Dolphins acquired Tyreek Hill in 2022, Waddle saw his targets shrink for three consecutive seasons. As Hill ate like crazy, there was less meat on the bone for Waddle.

He never made a stink. Never whined, even as quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s play deteriorated last season.

You know who else is like this? Courtland Sutton, a team captain.

Of course, the Broncos required someone with special talent. But they needed that player to possess humility. Waddle can be quirky and hilarious — but his unselfishness remains a defining quality.

“I honestly think it was just the way I was brought up. My mom and dad obviously tried to do a good job as best they could with keeping me not too high, but not too low. So just staying at a good head space,” Waddle said. “I think it����ap going to be a fun group. They have a lot of talent with ‘Court’, ‘Marv’ (Marvin Mims Jr.), Troy, Pat Lil’Jordan (Humphrey). I’m here to help in every fashion, making plays and learning. I’m excited to learn from them and for them to learn from me. It should be great.”

He makes the Broncos better. And his makeup makes them the AFC’s top contender.

“This is exactly what we needed,” Surtain told the team website. “He fits this team very well.”

Patriots, Jaguars vying for top seed. The Broncos received a massive belated Christmas gift on Monday courtesy of Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh, who relinquished all gamesmanship and said point-blank that Los Angeles would rest star quarterback Justin Herbert. Denver would have to absolutely implode to lose Sunday’s matchup. In such an event, though, New England (13-3) and Jacksonville (12-4) would be set up to seize that vaunted No. 1 seed in the AFC. The Patriots are playing a 7-9 Dolphins team that’s been mathematically eliminated; the Jaguars face 3-13 Tennessee, one of the worst teams in the NFL. Denver can’t afford to get too cute here.

Fernando-mania. The Raiders are the NFL’s hottest current mess. They’ve lost 10 straight. The Pete Carroll experiment seems all but destined to end after one unceremonious year. 48-year-old minority owner Tom Brady was captured by TMZ getting a little close with 25-year-old influencer Alix Earle on New Year’s Eve. Las Vegas continues to be in the news for plenty of reasons beyond the actual on-field product. The good news? Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza is only solidifying his case as a legitimate No. 1 pick, with a 14-of-16 line for 192 yards and three touchdowns in a drubbing of Alabama at the Rose Bowl on Thursday. Raiders general manager John Spytek has to be licking his chops.

Rivers done, again. The great season-saving Philip Rivers Experiment is over, as the 44-year-old will now step back into retirement after three losses in Indianapolis. What a valiant effort it was, though: Rivers has a higher QBR (39.3) in three starts in 2025 than the Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa or the Raiders’ Geno Smith have this season. The Colts announced rookie QB Riley Leonard will start in Week 18, with Indianapolis (8-8) removed from playoff contention. Rivers, though, expressed nothing but gratitude for the opportunity.

“I got three bonus games that I never saw coming,” , “and couldn’t be more thankful that I got an opportunity.”

Around the NFC

Teach me how to Purdy. It’s time to officially crown San Francisco as serious NFC contenders. The 49ers were a distant afterthought in their own division a couple months back, floating at 6-4 behind Seattle and the Rams. Suddenly, the Niners have ripped off six wins in a row with the return of starting quarterback Brock Purdy, who’s playing with rarely-before-seen levels of confidence. Case in point: hitting a nasty Dougie after a touchdown against the Bears last Sunday in a 24-of-33, 303-yard, five-total-TD performance. As , heaven “forbid a white guy has a little bit of motion.”

Packers get secondary help. Green Bay’s seen an unexpected influx of Cowboys into their building in 2025. First came Micah Parsons. Now, former All-Pro Trevon Diggs is joining the fray after Dallas cut bait and waived him this week. The cornerback is far from the same player who led the NFL with 11 interceptions in 2021, torched for four touchdowns and a 157.2 quarterback rating in eight games this season. But there’s still talent in there, and perhaps Diggs will be motivated by a fresh start.

Can Stafford seize an MVP? The race for the league’s top award is still wide-open entering Week 18. Support for the Rams’ Matthew Stafford, long the season favorite, has faltered significantly after he threw three interceptions in Monday’s 27-24 loss to the Falcons. The stats don’t lie, though: Stafford’s 42 touchdown passes are nine more than any other NFL quarterback entering the final regular-season game of the year. If Stafford gets back on track against the 3-13 Cardinals Sunday, consider the Most Valuable Player discussion wrapped up.

Game of the Week

Baltimore at Pittsburgh

It’s a Sunday Night doozy. Lamar Jackson vs. Aaron Rodgers for sole possession of an AFC North title — and a playoff berth. Loser’s bounced out of the bracket entirely. Jackson confirmed this week he’ll play after missing last Saturday’s win with a back contusion, in what’s been an overall-frustrating year for the MVP due to injuries and roster instability.

There could be major long-term ramifications on the line for both organizations in Pittsburgh on Sunday.  A Ravens loss could bring an end of an era to the John Harbaugh-Jackson partnership in Baltimore, with trade rumors swirling around Jackson for the better part of a strange season. A Steelers loss could bring an end to the Mike Tomlin era in Pittsburgh, with rampant speculation (okay, there’s speculation literally every year) around Tomlin’s job security. Sunday should, in general, bring a unique new chapter in a historic NFL rivalry.

Baltimore 24, Pittsburgh 20

Lock of the Week

Tennessee at Jacksonville

There aren’t a ton of playoff teams with a ton left to play for in Week 18. The Jaguars are one of them. And they just so happen to be facing the 3-13 Titans. Tennessee’s been playing much-improved offensive ball across the last month, as rookie Cam Ward has six touchdowns and zero interceptions in his last three starts. Still, the Jaguars should be motivated to put this one to bed early to preserve a shot at the one-seed and get their starters some second-half rest.

Jaguars 31, Titans 20

Upset of the Week

Washington at Philadelphia

Don’t look now, but the reigning champs should be squarely back in the thick of the Super Bowl discussion. Philadelphia’s offense is still a sludge. But Vic Fangio’s defense is playing as well as any unit in the league: the Eagles have surrendered just 14.5 points a game across their last eight weeks.

That being said, this could be a classic end-of-year stunner. Philadelphia’s resting quarterback Jalen Hurts against the Commanders, despite a shot at the No. 2 seed if they’d beat Washington. That’d signal the Eagles will sit other key starters; Washington’s suffered through a brutal season with Jayden Daniels banged up, but backup Marcus Mariota has done some solid work at times. This could be an ugly, meaningless upset.

Commanders 16, Eagles 13

This season, they have struggled to finish. Leave it to Nikola Jokic to change the narrative as he alters our imagination on what is possible on a basketball court.

There’s something sad about how we take Jokic for granted. But his performance achieved such a zenith of brilliance on Christmas, it was impossible to ignore: 56 points, 16 points, 15 assists.

It was not the what, but the when that mattered so much in the victory over the rival Timberwolves.

Jokic set an NBA record with 18 overtime points Thursday, breaking Steph Curry’s record set in 2016.

Borrowing from Broncos quarterback Bo Nix, did the Nuggets become clutch (again)?

This gene remains a must when pursuing a championship. And they have had it in five of the past six seasons. They were Nix — he has 10 game-winning drives this season — before he joined our local mix.

The NBA defines clutch time as any scenario in which two teams are separated by five or fewer points in the last five minutes of a game (regulation or overtime). Denver ranks 24th in this category with a 5-7 record this season.

It belies Jokic’s brilliance and Jamal Murray’s calmness. The No.1 problem is that the two-man game has not been working. This has always been a Nuggets’ constant, like Arnold saying, “What you talkin’ about, Willis?” in “Diff’rent Strokes.” You expect to see it in every episode, every game.

But as teams hedge out on Murray and double team Jokic, the spacing has changed. And, if we are being honest, both, despite all-star seasons, have missed some bunnies.

For the Nuggets to reach their goal — it is NBA championship or bust — they must excel late. It is in their DNA because of Jokic. And they need to make a minor trade to compensate for injuries.

But while everyone wants the Nuggets to get healthy — starters Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun should return soon, though Cam Johnson is out for at least a month — the more salient Christmas wish is for them to stop grinding their gears in the clutch.

Don’t waste Nate: The Nuggets face an obvious obstacle in their pursuit of a title in Oklahoma City. The Avs? Not so much. Their issue remains between their ears until they exorcise their demons in the postseason, preferably against the Dallas Stars in the second round. Let’s say it now, before the Olympics make us lose perspective: Nathan MacKinnon’s season will be wasted without it finishing with the Stanley Cup raised above his head. He became the first NHL player to reach 60 points this season, and tied the Avs’ record for doing it in 35 games.

Netflix in flux: After a positive debut with NFL games last season, Netflix tried to reinvent the wheel and was run over with criticism Thursday. From in-game interviews of former legends to poor audio and oddly matched announcing crews, the product suffered. Netflix has not upset this many people since they made it harder to share passwords. Do better.

Tua tanks: Tua Tagovailoa has fallen from grace with a thud. After his benching, there is speculation the Dolphins will follow Denver’s path and cut the quarterback, owing him $99.2 million, eclipsing Wilson’s record of $85 million in dead money. Here’s the problem: When Sean Payton moved on from Wilson, he had a clear vision for the position, and a plan moving forward. The Dolphins need a general manager, and could hire a new coach. As years pass, the way the Broncos transitioned after Wilson cratered their cap will be viewed as an anomaly. Trust me.

Fanfare Spurs: Spurs star Victor Wembanyama, the kryptonite to the Thunder, revealed a new postgame fan celebration this week. He worked it out in conjunction with the Spurs Jackals. The issue? They started practicing in November and basically stole the Vikings’ Skol chant. Give Wembanyama an A for enthusiasm, but an F for creativity.

No problems, Houston. Six weeks ago, who could have foreseen the AFC South being one of the best races out there and not including Indianapolis? The last time Houston lost was to the Broncos on Nov. 1. The last time Jacksonville lost? A week later, to the Texans. DeMeco Ryans and his salty defense have a great chance to run their record to 10-5 and their winning streak to seven Sunday against the Raiders.

Tua the bench. The Dolphins made a big change this week, benching quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Instead of former Bronco Zach Wilson, coach Mike McDaniel is turning to rookie Quinn Ewers. The bigger impact here, though: Miami might well be moving toward dumping Tagovailoa, which after this season would come with $99 million in dead cap charges. That would blow Russell Wilson’s record out of the water.

Steelers closing in. Pittsburgh fell to 6-6 but has since won two straight to get to 8-6 and in control of the AFC North. At one game ahead of Baltimore, Week 18 could still end up being a division championship game. In the meantime, Aaron Rodgers and company have a tough road trip to Detroit, plus a trip to Cleveland to deal with. The good news for Mike Tomlin’s team is that it’s built a bit of margin to work with. At this rate, the second-place finisher is getting left out of the postseason.

Around the NFC

Game of the year. Seattle’s 38-37 walk-off, overtime win against the Los Angeles Rams might have been the best Thursday Night Football game in history. The Seahawks trailed by 16 at home midway through the fourth quarter, stormed back to tie the game and then won on a salty 2-point conversion call dialed up by former Broncos assistant Klint Kubiak and caught by former Broncos tight end Eric Saubert. Incredible game overall. Now Seattle’s alone in first in the rugged NFC West at 12-3.

COY consideration. He’s not going to win coach of the year, but find somebody who’s done a better job than Kyle Shanahan in San Francisco. The club’s dealt with injury after injury, the strange departure of Brandon Ayiuk and plays in the toughest division in football. All the Niners have done is get to 10-4. Not only that, but San Francisco at this point controls its own fate. They got a boost from Seattle on Thursday night. Shanahan’s team has a tough finish, but if they can win out — at Indianapolis, then Chicago and Seattle at home — they’ll be the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

Who wants the South? Does anybody care to be crowned NFC South champion? The Bucs have lost consecutive games to New Orleans and Atlanta. Carolina could have taken control of the division but lost last week to the Saints, too. Now Tampa and Carolina play twice over the final three games of the season to try to sort out who’s going to the playoffs. The Panthers have a tougher game in between — vs. Seattle compared to Tampa traveling to Miami — but the best analysis of this division overall so far has been, basically, “Who knows?”

Game of the Week

New England at Baltimore

With two terrific games already in the rearview and the Broncos and Jaguars also not under consideration for this exercise, we get to potentially the fourth-best game of the weekend. It����ap still a dandy because of where the Patriots and Ravens each sit. New England blew a 21-0 lead to Buffalo and now has Josh Allen looking awfully big in the rearview mirror. The Ravens are flawed and flummoxing, and yet they can still force Pittsburgh into a division title game in Week 18. Who would want to face Lamar Jackson in the playoffs if they’ve won, say, four in a row entering Wild Card weekend? The Patriots have fallen behind Denver for the No. 1 seed, but if they get through this game, finishing vs. Miami and the New York Jets will keep the pressure on Denver and hold the Bills at arm’s length. Easier said than done as three-point road underdogs, but the bet here is they find a way.

Patriots 24, Ravens 23

Lock of the Week

Buffalo at Cleveland

Allen’s gone Superman mode the past three weeks to pull Buffalo from a little wobbly to looking like a force to be reckoned with in the AFC. The past two weeks have seen the Bills trail Cincinnati by 10 in the fourth quarter and trail the Patriots by three touchdowns early. Allen turned them both into wins. Between another MVP-type run and a league-best rushing attack led by Dalvin Cook, this is a group that����ap rounding into form. They need to win their final three and have the Patriots drop a division game against either the Jets or Miami to pull off a full-on division stunner, but even if they end up second in the AFC East, nobody wants to see Sean McDermott����ap team coming to their building on Wild Card weekend. Oh, yeah, and don’t trip up against those sometimes-pesky Browns on the road as a 10.5-point favorite.

Bills 33, Browns 19

Upset of the Week

Los Angeles Chargers at Dallas

The Chargers may feel a long way back of the Broncos in the AFC West, but they’re really not. They’ve just not been able to make up any ground in three months because Denver hasn’t lost since, well, the last time the Broncos and Chargers played Week 3. Jim Harbaugh’s team is beat up and quarterback Justin Herbert gets battered on a weekly basis. And yet the group is 10-4 and just needs a pair of wins and one Broncos loss to set up a division title game in Week 18 in Denver. Easier said than done, considering the run Denver is on and also the fact that L.A. could be underdogs in its next two games on the road against the Cowboys and at home against surging Houston. Still, if ever there’s a team that can be scored upon, it’s Dallas, and Jesse Minter’s defense can at least slow the Cowboys down. The Chargers have a great chance to keep pace despite being 2.5-point underdogs.

Chargers 27, Cowboys 24

Bengals need an Average Joe: About two weeks ago, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said he had “unwavering confidence” in backup Jake Browning. And yet $161 million man Ja’Marr Chase seemed rather unhappy. And $115 million man Tee Higgins seemed rather unhappy. The Broncos turned Browning into a ghost a couple of weeks ago, and then Joe Burrow’s replacement turned around and threw three picks against the Lions. The solution to a rapidly-sinking Bengals season: The organization traded for 40-year-old Joe Flacco, who authored a resounding 60.3 quarterback rating in four games in Cleveland before being benched for rookie Dillon Gabriel.

Vibe check in Vegas: Pete Carroll’s NFL return could be going better. The Raiders just got blitzed 40-6 by the Colts in Indianapolis, and quarterback Geno Smith has nine picks in five games. Stud tight end Brock Bowers has been nagged by a knee injury. Linebacker Germaine Pratt was cut after four games. It’s a long process, but the 74-year-old Carroll has yet to show any signs of the culture overhaul he orchestrated at USC and in Seattle.

Breakthrough in Houston: C.J. Stroud said . The NFL world, evidently, did not understand this was a joke, because for some reason the larger NFL world seemed to sour on Stroud to Caleb Williams last year. After a shaky three-game start to 2025, though, Stroud got back on track with a 23-of-27, 244-yard, four-touchdown gem in a blowout of the Ravens last week. Yes, Baltimore’s bruised up every which way. But it was a much-needed showing for Stroud.

Around the NFC

The Javonte Renaissance: Who could’ve predicted this? Through five weeks in Dallas, former Broncos running back Javonte Williams sits at third in the NFL with 447 rushing yards — less than 70 away from his 2024 mark, which he put up in 17 games in Denver. He’s averaging two full yards a carry more in 2025 than he did in 2024, and just snapped off a 66-yarder in a 135-yard performance in Dallas’ Week 5 win over the Jets. If the Broncos hadn’t found J.K. Dobbins at the free-agent buzzer, they might’ve ended up pining after their ex in Texas.

Who’s the real No. 1 pick? A heck of a Monday Night matchup is coming to D.C., as 2024 No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels and the Commanders host 2024 No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams and the Bears. It’s a rematch of last October, when Daniels established himself as the clear top dog in his class in downing Williams in an 18-15 Washington win — albeit on a last-second Hail Mary. Williams, though, has captured some attention across two straight wins for Chicago, and Daniels is still ramping up from an early-season knee injury. Round 2 awaits.

Historic Puka: Matthew Stafford is just churning out historic receiver seasons down in Los Angeles, as Puka Nacua shattered old teammate Cooper Kupp’s record last week for the most catches through the first five weeks of an NFL season. 52 catches! On 62 targets! It’s shaping up as an all-timer. Former Saints wideout Michael Thomas is the single-season record-holder with 149 catches back in 2019, and Nacua is easily within early striking distance.

Game of the Week

San Francisco at Tampa Bay

This is a gem on the CBS mid-afternoon slate. San Francisco, despite a rash of injuries and Brock Purdy’s absence, sits at 4-1. The Buccaneers, riding high on the right arm and outsized confidence of Baker Mayfield, also sit at 4-1. A dogged San Francisco defense did enough to seal an overtime win over the Rams last week, while Mayfield went haywire in a 29-of-33, 379-yard performance to slay Seattle. Someone’s ending up 5-1 and an early belle of the NFL ball after this one.

Tampa Bay 27, San Francisco 21

Lock of the Week

Rams at Ravens

Unless Lamar Jackson pulls a Willis Reed and hobbles out of the tunnel at M&T Bank Stadium on a bad hamstring, this one’s a wrap. The Ravens have given up 35-plus points in four of their five games this season, and sit at 1-4 because of it. Their training room looks like a M.A.S.H. ward. Meanwhile, Matthew Stafford rolls in conducting one of the highest-powered passing attacks in the league. Expect fireworks.

Rams 38, Ravens 17

Upset of the Week

Chargers at Dolphins

Man, the Chargers’ season started so promisingly. But starting tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt are out, running backs Omarion Hampton and Najee Harris are both sidelined, and Justin Herbert’s gotten knocked around the yard for three straight games. Los Angeles sits at 3-2, but they’re eminently vulnerable after putting up just 10 points last week in a loss to the Commanders. Mike McDaniel looks totally checked out in Miami, but Tua Tagovailoa still has enough juice left in his left arm to pull this one out.

Dolphins 21, Chargers 17

1.

The defending Super Bowl champs get top billing thanks to quarterback Jalen Hurts, running back Saquon Barkley, and a loaded defense.

2.

The Ravens might have the best quarterback in football and the best overall roster. At some point, it����ap got to show in the postseason.

3.

Josh Allen and company are going to break through and get to a Super Bowl at some point, right? Right?

4.

Patrick Mahomes has played in an AFC title game every year he’s started in Kansas City, and it won’t be easy to knock him off that course.

5.

Can former Broncos passing game coordinator John Morton ably replace Ben Johnson as Jared Goff’s offensive coordinator?

6.

The Packers should be formidable on both sides of the ball, but they need Jordan Love to play like one of the NFL’s best QBs.

7.

Dan Quinn and Jayden Daniels made for one of the league’s best stories in 2024. Now, can they back it up?

8.

Jim Harbaugh’s roster is solid, and the addition of rookie RB Omarion Hampton gives them a back to fully lean into the run game.

9. Denver Broncos

Sean Payton’s team isn’t sneaking up on anybody this year, but the Broncos have perhaps the league’s most talented defense and an ascending QB in Bo Nix.

10.

If quarterback Matthew Stafford stays healthy, this team has the makings of a Super Bowl contender. But that����ap a big if.

11.

The Vikings are like the Broncos: Talented, well-coached, maybe a Super Bowl threat, and maybe third place in their own division.

12.

Joe Burrow’s got his receivers locked up and the offense should be as dangerous as ever, but can the Bengals stop anybody?

13.

The 49ers had brutal injury luck in 2024 and shed big contracts this offseason, but still have the juice to be real players in the NFC.

14.

Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter are one of the most formidable defensive duos in the NFL, and if the offense rebounds, look out.

15.

The Steelers went to work this offseason, adding Aaron Rodgers, DK Metcalf, Darius Slay, Juan Thornhill and more. They’ll be fascinating at a minimum.

16.

Rookie WR Emeka Egbuka is already drawing rave reviews, and Baker Mayfield’s played like a star quarterback in an eminently winnable division.

17.

If everything goes right for the Cowboys, they’ve got the talent and the quarterback to be in the NFC mix, but when’s the last time that happened?

18.

Year 2 under Mike MacDonald has promise, especially if the defense moves up from finishing tied for 11th in EPA last season.

19.

Is Mike McDaniel trending toward the hot seat? If Tua Tagovailoa is healthy and the Dolphins get on a good offensive run, then no. If not…

20.

The Bears are going to draw a ton of attention with new head coach Ben Johnson pairing with QB Caleb Williams, but is this the year the franchise finally breaks out?

21.

Could Year 2 be the year of Marvin Harrison Jr.? His 885 yards and 8 TDs as a rookie are nothing to sneeze at, but that might be just the start.

22.

Not many teams have a more exciting pair of young playmakers than TE Brock Bowers and RB Ashton Jeanty, and vibes are good with new HC Pete Carroll.

23.

QB Michael Penix Jr. has RB Bijan Robinson, a good set of weapons, and a chance to show why the Falcons drafted him No. 8 overall in 2024.

24.

The Patriots hired Mike Vrabel to bring stability back to the franchise in the post-Bill Belichick era. How fast can he and QB Drake Maye get it going?

25.

Head coach Aaron Glenn and GM Darren Mougey made big decisions but also quieted the building down this offseason. But is Justin Fields really the answer at QB?

26.

What has happened to you, Trevor Lawrence? Better make some hay this year with Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter.

27.

The Colts are stuck in QB purgatory unless Anthony Richardson engineers a massive turnaround.

28.

Is there a worse offense out there than the Saints? New head coach Kellen Moore has his work cut out for him.

29.

The Broncos in Week 7 might be a good over/under for when the Giants kick off coaching search season.

30.

Bryce Young’s resurgence in 2024 was great to see. Now, can the Panthers stop anybody?

31.

No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward has talent, but like many in his position before, there’s little infrastructure around that would inspire confidence.

32.

How many quarterbacks can one franchise churn through in a single season? The Browns might find out before settling on Shedeur Sanders.

Buffalo Bills

says: Win Super Bowl, 7-1; Over-under win total, 11.5

Strengths: Quarterback Josh Allen is the reigning MVP, and his pass-catching options might be a tick better this year with wide receiver Josh Palmer added and another year of development for Keon Coleman and tight end Dalton Kincaid. The 1-2 rushing punch of running back James Cook and Allen might be the best in the AFC outside of Baltimore.

Weaknesses: The team in Kansas City is still a member of the AFC. Beyond that, after one aging star (Von Miller) didn’t provide much juice for the pass rush, the Bills are going to try another (Joey Bosa). They have other strong options up front, but the back seven can be vulnerable at times. Maybe yet another aging star (CB Tre’Davious White) can have a throwback year in his return.

Miami Dolphins

BetMGM says: Win Super Bowl, 80-1; Over-under win total, 8.5

Strengths: The Dolphins have an impactful collection of skill position guys and Aurora native Mike McDaniel’s offense hums when quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is healthy. The names on the outside, particularly with the addition of rookie defensive lineman Kenneth Grant inside, should produce more pressure and sacks for this defense.

Weaknesses: The phrase “when Tagovailoa is healthy” is doing a lot of work. The backup QB is either going to be former Bronco Zach Wilson or seventh-round pick Quinn Ewers out of Texas. Miami added future Hall of Fame safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, but subtracted future HOF cornerback Jalen Ramsey from a position that already looked thin behind him.

New England Patriots

BetMGM says: Win Super Bowl, 80-1; Over-under win total, 8.5

Strengths: The Patriots were one of the big spenders this offseason, so there are definitely more quality NFL players on the roster. New England made a splashy addition at each level of the defense. There are other non-contending teams that would trade their quarterback for Drake Maye yesterday, and some that would like Mike Vrabel to coach for them as well.

Weaknesses: These guys might be a trendy pick to be much improved, but they had a lot of turnover this offseason. That doesn’t always work immediately. Also, the offense was terrible last year and the top offseason additions are a rookie offensive tackle and an aging wide receiver (Stefon Diggs) who tore an ACL in October.

New York Jets

BetMGM says: Win Super Bowl, 200-1; Over-under win total, 6.5

Strengths: Cornerback Sauce Gardner and receiver Garrett Wilson are franchise building blocks. A couple of the club’s other recent high first-round picks could be as well. And … the front office doesn’t have to worry about what Aaron Rodgers says on The Pat McAfee Show anymore?

Weaknesses: Just about everything else, unless quarterback Justin Fields can prove he’s ready to take a big leap forward as Rodgers’ replacement. Expect there to be a lot of Arch Manning chatter in the Big Apple this football season, because both New York teams could be in the running for the top pick.

His peers officially think more highly of him than Dak Prescott, Jordan Love or Tua Tagovailoa, and such recognition on the NFL’s Top 100 was a “cool honor,” Nix affirmed Saturday.

But the 25-year-old also doesn’t want to be ��ܲ�����the 64th-best player in the league, as he was ranked. All offseason long, veteran teammates from Mike McGlinchey to Pat Surtain II have lauded Nix’s sheer competitiveness behind the scenes. The world got a peek behind the curtain on Saturday.

“It doesn’t really matter what you’re ranked,” Nix told reporters. “It����ap just an internal standard that I have, that I want to be the best in the world.”

Nix wants to climb. Equally, he doesn’t want to free-fall.

This has been his first extended break from football since he was a kid at Oregon chucking deep routes to Troy Franklin in a different-colored jersey, and an idle mind is the devil’s playground. He has spent his first NFL offseason touring some of the most beautiful places on this planet, beaming with wife, Izzy, in . He has spent his first NFL offseason on a royal tour of Denver.

He also has spent this offseason, as he hinted Saturday, trying to avoid the concept of a “down year.”

“I think it����ap more of the fear of not being ready, not being enough for the team,” Nix said. “That����ap what continues to drive me, and what����ap not going to give me an off year.”

That fear hasn’t manifested itself, though, in additional reps within a comprehensive offseason plan that’s pulled in long-time quarterback coaches and throwing guru Tom House and Drew Brees. Nix has thrown less to do more elsewhere. Improving lies in his mental foundation, he insisted. In that dream he’s had to lead a franchise since he was in sixth grade, running across fields in Alabama.

He had four or five days to sit with all-time great Brees in the sun of San Diego. Both have been tasked as disciples to grease the wheels on Sean Payton’s humming offensive machine. Both share somewhat-overlapping strengths. But Nix didn’t focus that time with Brees on the intricacies of ball, or a call sheet, or a formation.

Xs and Os change over time, Nix noted. Technique changes, too.

But how to be a leader? That carries over, Nix said.

“Your job is to go out there and complete passes and to score points,” Nix said, speaking to how he approached conversations with Brees. “Everybody understands that. It����ap the off-the-field. How are you encouraging guys? How are you making sure guys are seen, and making sure guys are getting what they need and being put in a position to succeed so that we all can help each other?”

There are few secrets there. Everyone in Dove Valley can feel Nix’s presence. He first drew Evan Engram and Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga to Denver by the strength of his film and the strength of his presumed character. He then proceeded to chuck his first ball of OTAs “over everybody’s head,” as Hufanga grinned this week. He’s engaged in back-and-forth route diagramming with veteran receiver Courtland Sutton as if they’ve played the same number of NFL snaps.

This is Nix’s team, his teammates affirm. But it was also “kind of his team when he got here,” as All-Pro guard Quinn Meinerz said this week. The 25-year-old simply has to worry less entering Year 2, about formations, concepts, or even simply where to find Denver’s locker room.

Now he is worried about franchise-quarterback-level intricacies, not rookie-quarterback-intricacies.

“I can get there and do it, and knock it out, and now I can focus on the next level of things and the details and not really the overall picture,” Nix said. “A lot of the times, as a rookie, you just don’t want to look like an idiot.

“Now, you can go out there and look a lot better than an idiot.”

Defenses, his camp knows, won’t be surprised by Nix anymore in his second year. Opposing units might keep a spy active to take away his legs. There’ll be more wrinkles in coverage, and more anticipation of his ability to chuck a ball over everybody’s head.

But the same challenges would still be in his way from his rookie year, Nix said. Coordinators. Wins and losses. Team health. New installs.

“I don’t think the challenges will change,” Nix said. “I think I’m just different.”

“We have Bo’s back the whole way through,” Pat Surtain II told reporters Tuesday. “He’s a tremendous leader out there, and a tremendous player. This year, he’s going to make a lot of noise.”

The rest of the NFL thinks so too, evidently.

On Thursday, the NFL revealed Nix — voted on by the players themselves. As analysts have continued to kindle offseason discourse around his ultimate upside, the placement’s a direct nod to Nix’s ascending standing in the league following a third-place finish in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting in 2025.

Nix threw for 3,775 yards and 29 touchdowns in his first NFL season, the latter figure good for sixth in the league. Players ranked him ahead of more-established Pro Bowl QBs like the Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa (No. 91), the Cowboys’ Dak Prescott (No. 79) and the Vikings’ Sam Darnold (No. 72).

The second-year signal-caller has certainly drawn all the right praise across his first full offseason in Denver, demonstrating improved leadership and command of Sean Payton’s offense. He’s spent time with longtime throwing coach Tom House. He’s spent time with Payton’s former Super Bowl-winner Drew Brees. And his peers continue to note his “hunger for more,” as Broncos guard Mike McGlinchey said Tuesday.

“That ability to stack those days is why he improved so vastly and so fast as the season went on last year,” McGlinchey said. “I only expect the same things from him this year.”