The Broncos haven’t made a move at the 2026 NFL Trade Deadline, but one of the biggest deals elsewhere may have just handed Denver a better path the rest of the way.
Las Vegas sent quarterback Kirk Cousins to the Minnesota Vikings, and that trade changes the picture for the Broncos in a major way. Minnesota gets a proven veteran to stabilize its offense, while the Raiders are moving on after nine games and opening the door for rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the first overall pick.
That matters for Denver because the Broncos are set to see Mendoza twice this season.
With Cousins under center, Las Vegas was far from a pushover. The Raiders ranked eighth in points per game at 26.4, and Cousins had put together a strong year with 20 touchdown passes, eight interceptions and a 97.1 passer rating. He had been playing like a top-12 quarterback and giving the Raiders real competence on offense.
Now the Broncos are looking at a different kind of challenge. Mendoza is expected to make his first NFL starts against the Seattle Seahawks at home and against Denver at Mile High.
The rookie has a profile that draws comparisons to Cousins, Joe Burrow and Jared Goff, with pocket-passing ability, accuracy and processing. But for the Broncos, the bigger point is simple: he’s still a rookie.
Denver sits at 7-2 and has every reason to keep pushing for a big finish, whether or not it makes a deadline splash. This trade, though, gives the Broncos a softer draw in two games that matter. Going from Cousins to Mendoza is a meaningful swing, and it gives Denver a better shot in both matchups as it tries to keep its Super Bowl-caliber season rolling.
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Broncos Just Made Jonah Coleman's Role Much More Important
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That puts a brighter spotlight on Jonah Coleman, who has been seeing more carries since coming back from injured reserve. J.K. Dobbins workload has trended down lately, and RJ Harvey is still on injured reserve until early December, so Denver is leaning into Colemans role at a time when the depth chart could have used another veteran option. [Read more 🡒]