The Broncos’ failed attempt to land Daiyan Henley has turned into more than just a deadline-day hiccup. What looked like a completed trade for the Chargers linebacker unraveled after Denver backed out, with the team later saying the deal “will not be finalized” and citing a failed physical tied to Henley’s knee.
Denver announced the cancellation at 12:13 a.m. ET on Thursday, and the explanation that followed made the situation feel even messier. The Broncos said, “The proposed trade involving Chargers linebacker Daiyan Henley will not be finalized,” and added, “We have great respect for Daiyan as a player and person, and we wish him all the best moving forward.”
Jim Harbaugh, though, didn’t hide his frustration when the subject came up Thursday. The Chargers head coach said the Broncos were prepared to let Henley pass the physical only if Los Angeles agreed to take less than the originally discussed fourth- and fifth-round picks.
“It’s a medical grade. It’s a pass/fail for a medical grade. They told us they weren’t going to pass him if it was a fourth and a fifth, which was agreed upon,” Harbaugh said, per Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel.
“They’d pass him for a fourth and a fill in the blank,” Harbaugh added.
Harbaugh went a step further and said he wants the league to take a closer look at what he described as a “loophole” in the process. He pointed to the toll the situation took on Henley over the last couple of days.
“What that put Daiyan through, kinda the ringer the last couple days. That’s emotional.
That’s painful. All that’s considered.
And should be considered by the league when they look into this loophole,” Harbaugh said.
By the rules, the Broncos were within their rights to walk away. A similar situation already happened when the Baltimore Ravens backed out of a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders for Maxx Crosby after a failed physical. That move was widely viewed as buyer’s remorse, especially since Crosby had been recovering from offseason knee surgery and wasn’t fully healthy when the deal surfaced.
This one, though, has a different feel. The source of the issue was Henley’s knee, but Harbaugh’s account makes it sound like Denver was willing to treat that medical concern as leverage if the price dropped.
That’s where the bad taste comes in. It’s one thing to cancel a deal after a physical raises red flags.
It’s another to be open to moving forward only if the compensation gets cheaper.
In Other News...
Jim Harbaugh Just Turned A Failed Chargers Trade Into AFC West Drama
A quiet roster move turned into a little AFC West theater when the Chargers tried to send linebacker Daiyan Henley to Denver for a fourth- and fifth-round draft pick. The deal had been lined up, but the Broncos backed away after reviewing Henleys medical report and then asked for lesser draft compensation, a change Los Angeles was not willing to accept.
Jim Harbaugh did not hide his frustration with how it unfolded, making the failed trade a public point of irritation for a Chargers team that would have preferred the matter stay behind closed doors. Instead, the episode added another layer to a division rivalry that already has enough edge, with one side believing terms were agreed to and the other deciding the price no longer fit. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Fans Have Every Reason To Question Joe Hortiz Today
The Chargers entered the trade deadline with a clear chance to start reshaping a roster that has gone nowhere this season, and for a moment it looked like they had at least one move lined up. A deal to send Daiyan Henley to the Broncos for future draft picks was agreed to before it was ultimately canceled, leaving Los Angeles without even that small step toward stockpiling assets.
What followed only sharpened the scrutiny on Joe Hortiz. With the team still winless and in obvious need of a reset, the Chargers made no other significant moves at the deadline, a passivity that has fueled criticism of how the front office handled the day. For a fan base looking for signs of a real rebuild, the silence was almost as loud as the canceled trade. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers LB Daiyan Henley Trade Collapse Leaves One Big Question
The Broncos proposed trade for Chargers linebacker Daiyan Henley has fallen apart, leaving a notable ripple in a division that already knows each other too well. The deal had been set to send mid-round draft picks to Los Angeles, but it was still waiting on Henleys physical after he went through the exam at Denvers facility.
With the move off the table, Denver will move ahead with its current linebacker group of Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad. For the Chargers, the collapse leaves one big question hanging over the situation, because a transaction that looked close enough to announce never made it across the finish line. [Read more 🡒]