In the weeks leading up to the deadline, Joe Hortiz maintained, rather adamantly, that the Los Angeles Chargers were not interested in "giving up" on the season. That meant, presumably, that they wouldn't be looking to deal their stars at the deadline—if they were willing to even engage in trade talks at all.
Then the reports and intimations started trickling in. Jim Harbaugh hinted during his press availability yesterday that the organization would be open to offers if there was a tangible future advantage to be gained. Jordan Schultz reported via X that Los Angeles had become "more open" to trading players in the past 24 hours than they were previously.
This organization is almost laughably opaque when it comes to this stuff, so we'll likely never know what the true intentions were behind those statements. But the Chargers have now made a tangible move, trading inside linebacker Daiyan Henley to the Denver Broncos in exchange for a 2027 fourth-round and a 2028 fifth-round selection. At least we know where things stand now.
It's the right deal to make, assuming they weren't going to extend Henley this offseason. But it also means that the front office has come fully to terms with the state of the team this season—there needs to be a major reset of talent on the roster before this team can even approach true contention.
Daiyan Henley's departure is an unfortunate (but necessary) outcome for this Chargers season
Beyond the fact that the Chargers didn't seem like real sellers until an hour before the deadline, this trade is surprising for two reasons.
Firstly, it's an in-division trade, and if Denver extends Henley, Los Angeles will be facing him for years to come. He hasn't quite developed into the All-Pro level linebacker the Chargers hoped he would after his breakout sophomore season. But the potential is certainly there, and Henley can be a key piece in helping the Broncos defense regain the dominant stature it found last season if he can improve his versatility in coverage and maintain his effectiveness against the run and in the blitz.
Secondly, there hasn't been much chatter about Henley's potential availability even with him preparing to enter the offseason as a free agent. An extension for Henley will likely fall somewhere in the $15 to $16 million range annually, and Los Angeles likely had the funds to make that work if they felt it was worth it in the fuller scope of the defense.
But even if Henley wasn't going to return this offseason, this trade, more than anything else, signifies that the Chargers have "given up" on this season. If they were anywhere close to playoff contention, this front office would've held onto Henley and waited to gain the compensatory pick when he walked in free agency.
His departure leaves the Chargers with an inside linebacker room of Del'Shawn Phillips, Troy Dye, and Marlowe Wax, with Denzel Perryman likely taking on a starting spot upon his eventual return from the IR. There's enough depth in that room to survive this move, but the defense, which has been the only bright spot of Los Angeles' season, is going to take a hit in the short-term.
A fourth and a fifth-round pick are a solid return for an expiring contract, so this was likely the right move for Los Angeles. We'll just need to see if this sudden change of approach to market results in any more moves before the deadline at 4 p.m. EST.
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