Broncos' Sean Payton Apologizes for 'Dumb' Reverse Play Call That Led to Jaylen Waddle Injury

Denver Broncos wide receiver Jaylen Waddle left Sunday's game against the Arizona Cardinals with an injury, and head coach Sean Payton took the blame for it.

Payton called the reverse play he ran that resulted in Waddle's injury "dumb."

"Why didn't anybody ask me about the dumb reverse call? ... It was awful. I'm sorry," Payton said. "If you look it up, in 2008, in a similar situation — even a more radical reverse — fumbled, Tampa Bay beat us. I know better. Every once in a while you fall in love with a play."

On the aforementioned play, quarterback Bo Nix tried to flip the ball to Waddle in the backfield, but Waddle couldn't bring the ball in and had to jump on it to avoid losing the fumble. It resulted in a chest injury, and he did not return to the game.

It's hard to blame Payton for wanting to get creative since the Broncos were up big with just a few minutes remaining, but it ultimately led to an injury to one of the key members of his offense.

The severity of Waddle's injury is still not known, but Payton will only be kicking himself more if he's looking at a lengthy return.

Waddle, a sixth-year veteran who joined the Broncos this offseason after five years with the Miami Dolphins, has been Bo Nix's favorite target so far this season, recording 26 receptions for 276 yards and a touchdown. He had four receptions for 48 yards in the 30-16 win on Sunday.

Amid a 5-2 start to the year, Waddle has been a major reason for the team's success. The question now is whether Payton's creative play will cost him any time.

Denver has a tough matchup on deck against the Kansas City Chiefs, and it would prefer to have Waddle available for that divisional game.