The Broncos are heading into their Week 10 bye with Bo Nix welcoming the pause. For the rookie quarterback, it’s a chance to step out of the weekly grind and let the team catch its breath.
“I love the bye week,” Nix said, via BroncosWire. “The bye week is awesome.
You get stuck in Groundhog Day over time doing the same thing over and over every week. I can tell you exactly what I’m doing every day of the week, so this will be a good break, good rest for us.
We all feel really good about it, feel like we need it, our coaches.”
Nix said the time away matters not just for recovery, but for taking stock of where the Broncos are right now.
“We’ll get some rest,” Nix said. “Players will get some rest and then we’ll start right back up next week with our next opponent. It’s just going to be a good time to relax and also debrief and look back at a few things and just have a great breakdown and sort of digest where we’ve been and what we’re doing and where we want to go.”
In Las Vegas, the Raiders are moving forward with rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza, and owner Mark Davis made it clear he believes the timing is right. He also pointed to Kirk Cousins for easing the transition.
“ I’m just letting the process play out, ” Davis said, via the team’s website. “ When we drafted Fernando No. 1, we wanted to take the pressure off him being the Day 1 starter.
And Kirk had been spectacular. He was a true Raider.
Once a Raider, always a Raider. “It’s Fernando’s time to start the season.
We’re ready to rock and roll and keep the season going.”
Tight end Brock Bowers echoed that confidence, saying Mendoza has already shown enough in practice to suggest he’s ready for live action.
“ Everything he does in practice shows me,” Bowers said. “ He throws a great ball.
He’s been making quick decisions, good decisions. So I’m excited to see him get to work live action, and him using his legs.
I’m excited to see that. I’m just excited for him.
”
In Tennessee, the Titans are giving younger players a bigger stage after sending veteran safety Amani Hooker to the Bills before the trade deadline. Defensive coordinator Gus Bradley said the move opens the door for players who have been waiting for more snaps.
“Now we’ve got some younger guys that have got great opportunities,” Bradley said, via AtoZ Sports Nashville. “Guys who have been talking all year about going, ‘I want to get more reps; how can I get on the field more?’
Well, they’re going to get their opportunities now, so there’s always a story. So it’ll be exciting to see which one does.”
In Other News...
Broncos Trade Deadline Search Left One Costly Backfield Question
The Broncos were among the teams poking around the running back market before the trade deadline, with Denver and Green Bay both showing interest in Jonathan Taylor and Tony Pollard. In the end, nothing moved. Indianapolis held onto Taylor after setting a steep asking price, while Tennessees price on Pollard was high enough to keep talks from getting far.
For Denver, the quiet deadline left a familiar question hanging over the backfield: whether help was ever realistically available, and at what cost. Pollard has been productive this season with 595 rushing yards and six touchdowns, but the Titans were not inclined to deal him, and the Broncos came away without the kind of backfield upgrade that might have changed the conversation down the stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Just Sent A Telling Message About Their Next DB Move
The Broncos handling of Sean Fresch Jr. offered a small but revealing glimpse into how they are managing the back end of the roster. Fresch had been waived when Denver agreed to a trade for Daiyan Henley, but once that move stalled, the team brought the cornerback back onto the practice squad, keeping him in the organization while preserving an open spot on the active roster.
It is the kind of transaction that suggests Denver still values Freschs familiarity with the system and his ability to move up when needed. He has already been promoted to the active roster multiple times this season, and his path to the Broncos has been anything but typical after two seasons in the United Football League. For now, the move leaves the door open for another defensive back addition without closing the book on Fresch. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos And Chargers Are Suddenly At Odds Over A Trade Collapse
A deal that looked close enough to feel real between the Broncos and Chargers instead unraveled over a familiar NFL fault line: the medical file. Linebacker Daiyan Henley had been on Denvers radar, and the Broncos had been preparing for his arrival before the trade hit a snag tied to how his knee was evaluated. Henley, who has dealt with a known knee issue but has still played consistently, was at the center of a transaction that had both teams moving forward until the process stopped short.
The disagreement has left the two sides at odds and the trade either voided or headed back to the drawing board, with the NFL Management Council consulted along the way. For Denver, it is a frustrating twist after looking ready to add a player who fit a clear need, while for the Chargers it raises the kind of medical dispute that can complicate any deadline or draft-day deal. No official league statement has come out, which leaves the situation hanging for now and the next step unclear. [Read more 🡒]