Jim Harbaugh didn’t hide how he felt about the Broncos’ handling of the failed Daiyan Henley deal.
The Chargers had reportedly lined up a trade that would have sent Henley to Denver for a fourth- and fifth-round pick, but the Broncos backed out after concerns about Henley’s physical. Before pulling the plug, though, Denver asked Los Angeles to take less draft capital to get the trade done.
Speaking with reporters, including Lindsay Thiry of ESPN, Harbaugh took aim at that sequence of events.
"Jim Harbaugh says the Broncos wanted the Chargers to accept lesser compensation for Daiyan Henley given their pass/fail medical grading system in Denver," Thiry reports. "Harbaugh is expressing frustration that they would take Henley for lesser compensation, but wouldn't take him on agreed-to compensation, when the medical report wouldn't change."
That’s the part that clearly rubbed the Chargers the wrong way. If Denver was comfortable enough with Henley to try to renegotiate the return, then the medical issue apparently wasn’t enough to kill the deal outright at first. Once the Broncos moved off the original price, the whole thing fell apart.
For Harbaugh and the Chargers, the frustration is obvious: Denver still wanted Henley, just not at the cost they had already agreed to pay. The Broncos’ change of heart left Los Angeles with its linebacker still in place and Denver without the trade-deadline addition it had been chasing.
Teams can back out of trades, and it has happened before - the Cincinnati Bengals did it for Arnold Ebiketie at the deadline, and the Baltimore Ravens did it for Maxx Crosby over the offseason. But this one landed differently for the Chargers because the Broncos were willing to revisit the compensation before ultimately walking away.
The result is simple enough: Henley stays with the Chargers, and the Broncos come away empty-handed after changing course on the deal.
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Broncos Made A Quiet Move That Could Matter In The Playoff Push
The Broncos added a little linebacker insurance with their trade for Daiyan Henley, a move that did not create much noise but could end up mattering as the playoff race tightens. Henley arrives as a depth piece, and while his overall performance grades have been only moderate, his tackling has stood out enough to make him a useful option for a defense that values reliability and versatility.
Jonathon Coopers legal issues have left Denver with some uncertainty about how often it can count on him, and that is where Henley could fit in. The Broncos can use him in specific situations or lean on him as a replacement if needed, giving the staff another option at a position where availability can change the picture quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Nearly Landed A Major Running Back Upgrade At The Deadline
The Broncos spent part of the trade deadline shopping for help in the backfield, with reports indicating they explored a deal for Colts running back Jonathan Taylor. Denver has stayed atop the AFC West, but the front office clearly took a hard look at whether a proven runner could give the offense another layer as the stretch run approaches.
Indianapolis asking price made the talks difficult, and the Broncos also checked on linebacker Daiyan Henley before that path, too, stalled out. For now, Denver moves ahead with its current running back group, a reminder that even a team in first place is still weighing whether the roster needs one more piece for the final push. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Suddenly Have A Real Linebacker Problem After Trade Collapse
The Broncos were trying to shore up the middle of their defense with a move for Chargers linebacker Daiyan Henley, but the deal never got across the finish line. Henley failed his physical in Denver, which immediately put the trade in limbo and left the Broncos reworking the idea of how they wanted to address inside linebacker depth.
Denver and Los Angeles kept talking after the setback, but the sides could not settle on revised terms, and Henley remained with the Chargers. For the Broncos, the result is a familiar kind of late-summer uncertainty: a position group that was supposed to get help is still waiting, and the internal answer at linebacker suddenly looks a lot less settled. [Read more 🡒]