The Broncos’ trade deadline plan shows a complete lack of faith in Sean Payton and Bo Nix.

One of the biggest surprises of the 2024 regular season as we approach the NFL trade deadline and thus the midway point of the campaign has been the Denver Broncos. Sean Payton’s club enters week nine with a shocking 5-3 record and fans dreaming of the playoffs.

Rookie quarterback Bo Nix has come into his own lately, protecting the football, making plays with his hands and feet and just generally helping create a functional offense that the Broncos haven’t seen in a while. And thanks to being protected by one of the best defenses in the NFL, it was a much better season than anyone could have imagined after the Russell Wilson debacle.

If only the front office believed it – at least that’s how fans should feel after the latest rumors about Denver’s plans for the upcoming NFL trade deadline.

Athletic NFL insider Dianna Russini reported Saturday, just three days before the deadline, that she “doesn’t expect the Broncos to be buyers or sellers.” That stance, she said, is rooted in an inner belief in Denver’s young players and what they can continue to build moving forward.

Translation: Don’t expect the Broncos to make any major moves at the trade deadline.

To some extent I can understand how the young core likes it. However, I think the Broncos are completely devoid of offensive playmakers. Nicks’ success seems to happen despite his surroundings. Jalil McLaughlin looked explosive, but other than that it’s a pretty desolate landscape. Why not try to make a move that will put your franchise quarterback of choice in a better position to move forward?

This may be a dead end, but it seems like a lack of faith on the part of the front office. Of course, there are some reasons that justify a lack of faith. The Broncos have five wins on the season, but none of those wins have come against teams with a record above .500 at this point in the year. Denver’s signature win to this point was a 26–7 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but the others were against the Panthers, Jets, Saints and Raiders.

No doubt we’ll find out what the Broncos’ true ceiling is in the coming weeks as Payton’s club visits the Ravens and Chiefs in the next two weeks before facing the Falcons in Denver. However, if the arrow continues to point upward after this stretch for this team, it will be difficult to justify not playing more aggressively at the trade deadline if the unchanged strategy remains true.