Just over 24 hours after agreeing to a trade ahead of Tuesday’s NFL deadline, the Chargers and Broncos abruptly called off the deal that would have sent linebacker Daiyan Henley to Denver.
Late Wednesday night, the Broncos announced on social media that the transaction "will not be finalized." While neither franchise has disclosed the exact reason for the collapse, the timeline and circumstances surrounding the agreement point strongly to a failed physical.
When both teams announced the trade, which would have sent Henley to the Broncos in exchange for a 2027 fourth-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick, they explicitly noted that the deal was pending a physical.
In the NFL, once the trade deadline passes, teams cannot simply back out of an agreed-upon
deal because of buyer's remorse or front-office second thoughts. A failed physical is the only way an acquiring team can void a trade after the deadline.
Henley was limited in practice on Wednesday last week before returning as a full participant on Thursday and Friday after suffering a shoulder injury in the game against the Rams. The Chargers removed him from the injury report ahead of Sunday's loss to the Texans, and he racked up 10 tackles and an interception. It's worth noting that Henley suffered a torn labrum in his left shoulder during Week 4 of the 2024 season.
However, playing through an injury does not guarantee passing a new team's medical evaluation. NFL teams have broad discretion during trade physicals, and Denver's medical staff may have uncovered an underlying issue or long-term concern with his shoulder or another part of his body that made them uncomfortable finalizing the move.
Henley is in the final year of his four-year rookie contract and will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
This article originally appeared on Chargers Wire: Chargers, Broncos call off Daiyan Henley trade: What went wrong?
