The Los Angeles Chargers, of course, couldn't even get things right at the trade deadline.
With an 0-8 record, they largely refused to hear offers on their stars. That's a fair stance to take—especially if the organization is able to chart a path back to competitiveness in 2027. But with the rescinded Daiyan Henley trade, Los Angeles officially came away from the deadline with an 0-8 record and absolutely zero draft capital to show for it.
Couldn't there have been a move on the table for any of the Chargers' expiring contracts? Certainly Donte Jackson, Dalvin Tomlinson, Denzel Perryman, David Njoku, and Troy Dye aren't all unmovable?
This is the type of thing where we'll likely never know the true landscape or options for the organization. But we do know the result—and it was unquestionably a failure on the part of Joe Hortiz and the front office.
If there's any silver lining to this surprising reversal from the Denver Broncos, it's that Henley—one of the leaders of the locker room and a green dot-wearer for the defense—will be back with the Chargers for now. But given the way things have already unfolded, it doesn't seem like that will last long, either.
Daiyan Henley's contract just might not make sense with what the Chargers have planned
There's a reason Denver was willing to give up that level of draft capital for Henley's expiring contract in the first place—he's still a solid player, and he's shown enough across his four NFL seasons to believe in his ability to be a difference-maker in the middle of a defense. But we've seen drop-offs in the consistency of his tackling and his abilities in coverage over the past two years, and any team paying him top dollar on the market is going to need to feel confident in his ability to clean up some of those issues moving forward.
It's obvious that Los Angeles didn't feel ready to do that. While The Athletic's Noah Furtado reported that the Chargers had, at the very least, made overtures toward an extension, it seemed as though the two parties were far apart on what Henley's next deal could look like.
Based on his status as a top off-ball linebacker, it's likely that he would want something close to the $15 million annually that Devin Lloyd got on his recent contract over three years. The highest-paid off-ball linebacker in the league, Roquan Smith, makes $20 million annually.
The Chargers would likely be fine giving Henley that amount, in a vacuum, given his importance to the defense. But both Del'Shawn Phillips and Marlowe Wax have emerged as strong contributors in the linebacker room this year, and bringing Troy Dye back as a rotational option would be significantly cheaper than extending Henley. Moreover, Los Angeles will also need to set aside money for the Tuli Tuipulotu extension this offseason and for pay raises for Ladd McConkey and Joe Alt in 2028. And that's before we even start to talk about fixing the offense.
For Henley's part, though, the trade was clearly a result of the Chargers not being confident in their ability to match what he feels is his value on the open market. Even if there's no animosity after he returns to the team, that doesn't seem conducive in the least to ongoing negotiations.
From a fan's perspective, it's easy to be glad that Henley is back on the team for now. He's one of the locker room's most electric personalities, and he's a much needed vocal leader in a time where it could be easy for this roster to simply mail it in. But it feels, quite obviously, like he'll be walking this offseason—and the Chargers might get a 2028 compensatory pick to show for it.
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