Broncos-Chargers Trade for Daiyan Henley Collapses After a Failed Physical, Leaving Harbaugh Fuming
Denver and Los Angeles had a deal in hand before this week's trade deadline. Then the linebacker's physical turned up a knee problem, and the whole thing fell apart.
A trade that looked done before this week's NFL deadline has officially fallen through: the Denver Broncos announced this week that their agreed-upon deal for Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Daiyan Henley "will not be finalized," after a physical turned up a problem with one of his knees.
The Broncos and Chargers had agreed to send Henley to Denver for a 2027 fourth-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick, with the trade publicly announced as pending a physical, according to ESPN. Denver's medical staff flagged the knee issue during the physical, and sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter and Jeff Legwold the two sides kept discussing revised terms rather than simply killing the deal outright — before it ultimately collapsed anyway.
With the trade dead, the Broncos keep both draft picks, and Henley stays in Los Angeles for the rest of the 2026 season.
A LOOPHOLE THE NFL NEEDS TO CLOSE, HARBAUGH SAYS.
Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh didn't hide his frustration, calling out what he described as a flaw in the league's trade process that lets a deal unravel after it's already been announced, per NBC Sports. He pointed to a prior scuttled trade elsewhere in the league as a sign the NFL needs clearer rules for what happens when a traded player fails his physical.
A deadline full of drama
The Henley reversal was one of several headline-grabbing twists around this year's Nov. 10 trade deadline. The Chargers also sent a cornerback to the Dallas Cowboys, closing out a monthslong saga, while the Indianapolis Colts opted against trading star running back Jonathan Taylor despite persistent rumors, according to Fox News' OutKick.
For Denver, the failed trade means a defense that had been counting on Henley's speed at linebacker will instead stick with its current roster entering the stretch run. For the Chargers, it's a strange kind of relief: a player they'd agreed to trade away is suddenly back in the fold, albeit with a knee injury now on the record that both teams will be watching closely. Neither team has indicated whether a revised trade could still be revisited.