Broncos acquire Chargers linebacker Daiyan Henley before trade deadline
Denver traded a 2027 fourth-round and a 2028 fifth-round pick to Los Angeles for linebacker Daiyan Henley as the NFL trade deadline approached.
Denver completed a trade with the Los Angeles Chargers for linebacker Daiyan Henley in the final hour before the NFL trade deadline, sending a 2027 fourth-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick to the Chargers. The move adds depth to the Broncos' inside-linebacker group, which already includes Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad.
"I like this team. There's room for us to get better, but I like this team a lot," head coach Sean Payton said after the Broncos' fifth straight win, noting the need to capitalize on their current position.
Henley, a former third-round pick in 2023, is in the last year of his rookie contract and is known for his coverage abilities after converting from safety and wide receiver in college. This season he recorded 51 tackles, one interception and two tackles for loss for the Chargers.
The Broncos have relied heavily on Singleton, who leads the league in tackles, and Strnad, a highly rated coverage linebacker. With limited experience among younger linebackers, the team sought additional reliability at the position. Henley, who turned 27, has been a consistent starter over the past three seasons, posting 147 tackles and a sack in 2024 and 103 tackles with 3.5 sacks the previous year.
His cap hit of $1.84 million for the remainder of the season fits within Denver's roughly $5 million cap space. Henley will become a free agent in the spring of 2026, making him a potential extension candidate or a factor in the Broncos' compensatory pick calculations for the 2028 draft.