The Denver Broncos took a gamble by exposing rookie tight end Justin Joly to waivers, and the move backfired fast.
Joly has been claimed by the Miami Dolphins, a landing spot that felt almost inevitable once he hit the wire. Miami was active all over the league, making a league-high seven waiver claims as new general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley keep reshaping the roster. The Broncos and Dolphins already pulled off one of the offseason’s biggest deals with the Jaylen Waddle trade, and after Miami received Denver’s 1st- and 3rd-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Dolphins still weren’t finished taking from Denver.
Per wire, Dolphins have claimed both TE Justin Joly and nickel Reese Taylor from #Broncos.
- MikeKlis9NEWS (@mikeklis9news) August 31, 2026
For Denver, the loss stings because Joly was the kind of late-round flier the team had hoped would grow into something more. The Broncos traded up to draft him in the spring, betting on a player with upside at a position that has offered them too little of it. Instead, they kept rookie Dallen Bentley over the younger Joly, a decision that raised eyebrows.
George Paton tried to explain the thinking behind the move, pointing to Joly’s rawness and the time he missed in the offseason program.
“Justin is a talented player. We knew it when we drafted him.
We knew he was raw. We still like the player.
He was coming on towards the end of training camp. Tight end position is a tough position for a rookie.
He missed a lot of the offseason, just a little bit behind. We wish we had another game or two.
We still like the player. We think he’s going to have a nice career.
You just have to make tough decisions to build the best 53 you can make.”
- GM George Paton (via Broncos PR)
The Dolphins’ interest also adds another layer to Denver’s tight end mess. Miami already has Greg Dulcich on its roster, giving it two of George Paton’s failed tight end picks.
The Broncos’ handling of Joly never quite settled in. Training camp brought a few signs that things were going sideways, including an offensive pass interference flag on a deep ball he caught and a separate fumble in 7-on-7 work. Those moments didn’t decide everything on their own, but they fit the picture of a player who may have lost ground quickly after the initial evaluation.
Joly was the highest-drafted player from the 2026 class to be cut by his team this year, which is not exactly a flattering marker for Denver. The Broncos passed on outside help earlier in the draft and in free agency, hoping patience would pay off. This time, it didn’t.
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