Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos may not be done with Daiyan Henley just yet. That is despite their deadline-beating trade with the Los Angeles Chargers for the linebacker falling through amid a reported discrepancy in his medicals.
“In the end, the Chargers will work to mend any potential hard feelings with their homegrown player,” The Athletic’s Jonathan Jones wrote on November 14. “The Broncos go forward with their Super Bowl pursuits without a good, young linebacker. And both teams think they will be able to sign Henley five months from now.”
Henley appeared to confirm the Broncos long-term interest in comments made to The Athletic.
Henley’s future with the Chargers was in question before the failed trade.
The Athletic’s Daniel Popper ranked him as the 22nd overall trade candidate and the second among off-ball linebackers.
“Henley, a third-round pick in 2023, has shown some promising flashes in his career. But he has yet to put together a complete elite season,” Popper wrote in October. “In 2025, Henley battled a severe illness early in the season. This year, he was uneven to start before finding better form in Week 3. The Chargers might view him as a long-term building block. Henley is in the final year of his rookie deal but has yet to agree to an extension. The Chargers also have some depth at linebacker. At his best, Henley can be a difference-maker in coverage and as a blitzer and sideline-to-sideline tackler.”
That last line is why the Broncos’ continued interest makes sense. However, Popper’s note about health being a noteworthy hurdle for the fourth-year veteran is telling following the Broncos’ polarizing decision.
Henley has missed three games in his career and has tallied over 300 total tackles.
Nevertheless, the Broncos had significant concerns about his longevity. Enough so that they reneged on a deal they clearly wanted to make.
Insider Shares GM Takes on Broncos’ Failed Trade for Chargers’ Daiyan Henley
The Broncos’ efforts to alter the trade terms after the deadline had technically passed and then back out have drawn strong opinions.
“Multiple GMs I spoke with agreed the league and the competition committee should reexamine teams’ ability to renegotiate trade terms once the deadline passes, arguing a team could abuse the system,” The Sweep’s Tom Pelissero wrote on November 14.
“To be clear: The Broncos were within their rights to go back to the Chargers after getting the medical reports on Henley, and there is no reason to believe they acted in bad faith. Other than a single appearance on the injury report in Week 6, Henley’s knee wasn’t a known issue outside of L.A. When the Broncos’ doctors raised concerns about Henley’s long-term durability—and additional outside medical opinions backed them up—Denver still tried to find a path forward. The team was still willing to send its 2027 fourth-round pick to the Chargers, but wanted to adjust and/or place conditions on the 2028 fifth-round pick from the original deal.”
Pelissero later noted, “The value adjusts based on longevity. But there are 32 teams with 32 doctors and 32 degrees of risk tolerance. The Chargers’ doctors see a player they know who has never missed a game because of injury in four NFL seasons; the Broncos’ doctors see scans that suggest that may change. The potential compensatory pick Denver would receive if Henley were to depart in March also could be affected if other teams concur with the Broncos’ medical assessment and he signs a lower-money offer.”
In addition to the fallout for Henley, Peliserro noted that some executives fear teams will abuse the gray area.
Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh insisted it was a “loophole” the league should look into.
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