Linebacker Daiyan Henley is staying in Los Angeles after all.
The Denver Broncos announced Thursday that their deal with the Los Angeles Chargers for Henley “will not be finalized.”
“The proposed trade involving linebacker Daiyan Henley will not be finalized,” the Broncos’ social media post late Wednesday read. “We have great respect for Daiyan as a player and person, and we wish him all the best moving forward.”
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Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Daiyan Henley returns an interception against the Houston Texans during the second quarter at SoFi Stadium. (Gary A. Vasquez, IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
The Broncos did not make it clear why the trade for Henley fell through, though he was in the Broncos’ facility on Wednesday and underwent a physical.
Denver announced the deal to acquire the fourth-year pro out of Washington State before Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline, saying that the deal was “pending a physical.” Perhaps his physical showed the Broncos something they didn’t like moving forward.
The Broncos had agreed to send a 2027 fourth-round pick and 2028 fifth-round pick to the Chargers in exchange for the veteran backer.
Now, the Chargers jokingly posted a revision of their “Thank You, Daiyan” graphic with a “Welcome Back” message.
With the Broncos on their bye week, we likely won’t know what led to the Henley fallout until head coach Sean Payton returns to prepare for the Week 11 matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders next week.
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Henley is in the midst of his final rookie contract year, meaning he is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent following the 2026 NFL season. He was a third-round selection by the Chargers in the 2023 NFL Draft, and has developed into a key piece of their defense.
Unfortunately for Los Angeles, they remain the only winless team in the NFL, a shocker to many in the football world given the talent on both sides of the ball.
Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Daiyan Henley returns an interception against the Houston Texans during the second quarter at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., on Nov. 8, 2026. (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
Meanwhile, the Broncos own the AFC West division lead at 7-2, and were looking to upgrade an already fantastic defense. Henley would’ve worked alongside middle linebacker Alex Singleton, who leads the NFL with 107 tackles through nine games.
Henly has recorded 51 tackles, a Chargers team-high, through eight games, which should come as no surprise given he’s tallied back-to-back 100-tackle seasons.
This isn’t the only trade to fall through during deadline week, as the Cincinnati Bengals pulled the plug on a deal with the Philadelphia Eagles, though for a different reason than the Broncos.
Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Daiyan Henley holds Pepsi cans at a training camp press conference at The Bolt in El Segundo, Calif., on July 30, 2026. (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)
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The Bengals were looking to acquire Arnold Ebiketie, but apologized for the failed deal after realizing they would’ve relinquished a compensatory draft pick in 2027 if they acquired him.
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