The Broncos are sitting at 2-2, and that’s not some disaster waiting to happen. Through four games, they’ve already matched up with Kansas City, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, and the fact that they’ve split those games says plenty about where this team stands.
It’s also the third straight year Denver has been 2-2, and in 2024 and 2025, that kind of start still led to double-digit wins and playoff trips. In other words, the Broncos are right where history says they usually are.
But Wednesday brought a move that should have Denver thinking beyond the present. Philadelphia sent two-time Pro Bowl center Cam Jurgens and a 2027 7th-round pick to the Ravens in exchange for a 2027 5th-round pick and a 2028 2nd-round pick, and it came less than 24 hours after Lane Johnson announced his retirement.
Trade: Eagles are sending two-time Pro Bowl center Cam Jurgens and a 2027 7th-round pick to the Ravens in exchange for a 2027 5th-round pick and a 2028 2nd-round pick, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/AaGL3MYqS7
- Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 7, 2026
That kind of deal has to get the Broncos’ attention, because it looks like Howie Roseman may be willing to listen on more than one front. Philadelphia is also 2-2, and the source material paints a blunt picture of a team that isn’t doing much well and isn’t looking like a true playoff threat. Jalen Hurts is described here as a limited quarterback who can’t lift the roster around him, and the suggestion is that Roseman may be staring down the start of a reset after the Super Bowl run in 2024.
If Denver is going to poke around, inside linebacker Zack Baun makes a lot of sense as the name to circle. He doesn’t turn 30 until December, and he was a third-round pick by Sean Payton and the Saints in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Baun didn’t break through until 2024, his first season with the Eagles, when he moved to inside linebacker after struggling to make his mark as a pass-rusher in New Orleans. That year brought a Pro Bowl selection and first-team All-Pro honors, and he followed it with another Pro Bowl nod in 2025.
The production has been real. Since the start of 2024, over 35 regular-season games, Baun has recorded three interceptions, 14 passes defended, six forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, seven sacks, 299 total tackles, 22 tackles for loss, 10 quarterback hits, and a 72.8 passer rating in coverage, according to Pro Football Reference.
He’s also carrying a 76.7 PFF grade, which ranks eighth among 74 qualified players. Add in the fact that his contract is tradeable, and the fit gets even more intriguing.
For Denver, the need is obvious. The linebacking group is not in a good place right now, and if Philadelphia really is headed toward selling at the deadline, the Broncos should be doing everything they can to get Baun. He checks every box the defense would want: coverage ability, downhill run support, and the kind of disruptive playmaking that creates negative plays.
In Other News...
Broncos Finally Get A Chance To Fix Whats Holding This Offense Back
The Broncos have spent the early part of the season fighting for answers on offense, and now they get a chance to make some progress against a Chargers team dealing with plenty of its own problems. Los Angeles is still looking for its first win, and the issues around Jim Harbaugh, Justin Herbert and new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniels system have made that side of the matchup far from clean. For Denver, it is the kind of opponent that can either provide a reset or expose how much work still remains.
After a stretch against stronger competition, the Broncos should see this as an opportunity to finally settle some of the things that have held the offense back. But a winless team can be a dangerous one if it is treated like a soft landing spot, especially in the AFC West where little margin exists for careless football. Denver does not just need the result, it needs proof that the offense can take advantage when the matchup is there. [Read more 🡒]
Marvin Mims' Costly Mistake Has Broncos Fans Asking About Accountability
Marvin Mims spent the aftermath of a rough outing doing what players are supposed to do after a mistake, even if the admission was uncomfortable. The Broncos wide receiver said he did not go back and review the film on the play where he fumbled, and he went so far as to call it possibly his worst NFL game. For a Denver offense still trying to find cleaner execution, the moment landed as another reminder of how thin the margin can be when a key touch turns into a turnover.
The larger conversation around accountability did not stop with Mims, either. Former Broncos linebacker Dre Greenlaw took aim at Sean Payton after the game, and Payton did not push back in his postgame availability, instead responding positively to Greenlaws comments. Meanwhile, across the division, Raiders coach Klint Kubiak was already talking about changing the approach around Ashton Jeanty and Mike Washington, a sign that coaches on both sidelines are feeling the pressure to fix problems before they harden. [Read more 🡒]
Bo Nix Faces A Growing Broncos Debate Ahead Of Tougher Tests
Bo Nixs recent approach has put a spotlight on how the Broncos want their offense to look as the schedule stiffens. Against the 49ers, he was especially conservative on the deep ball, and the result fed a familiar question for a young quarterback in this system: how much patience is the right amount, and when does caution start to limit the offense?
Cecil Lammey raised that issue directly, arguing Nix needs to be willing to challenge tighter windows if he wants to become more effective. The concern for Denver is simple enough. If the quarterback keeps playing it too safe, defenses can crowd the underneath game, muddy the coverage and make the passing attack harder to sustain as tougher opponents force the Broncos to be more aggressive. [Read more 🡒]