One day after the Denver Broncos hit "return to sender" on their trade with the Los Angeles Chargers, Jim Harbaugh aired out his frustration with the physical examination process that led to the dissolution of the deal.
The Broncos announced late Wednesday, Nov. 11, that the team's acquisition of linebacker Daiyan Henley would "not be finalized." Denver provided no additional information, but the initial agreement reached at Tuesday's trade deadline – with a 2027 fourth-round pick and 2028 fifth-round pick going back to the Chargers – was pending a physical. ESPN reported Thursday that the Broncos flagged an issue with Henley's knee.
Harbaugh said the Broncos then attempted to renegotiate terms of the deal, saying they would pass him for "a fourth
and a fill-in-the-blank." When the Chargers refused, the deal was called off.
"There's a loophole there that gives them an opportunity to do that," Harbaugh said in a news conference. "It's something that should be looked into. It sets a bad precedent.
"Medical grades should be based on pass/fail, what the medical grade is, not being used by the organization to (give up) less compensation for a trade that was agreed upon."
Henley, 26, leads the Chargers with 51 tackles this season. He is in the final year of his rookie contract.
Harbaugh said Henley would resume practice this week in preparation for Monday night's game against the Baltimore Ravens.
The Chargers and Broncos met in Week 5, with Denver reeling off 13 points in the fourth quarter to secure a 23-17 win. The two AFC West rivals will meet again in the regular-season finale at Empower Field at Mile High.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Chargers' Jim Harbaugh frustrated with NFL 'loophole' after Broncos nix trade
