Earlier this week, Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton claimed that he was happy with where his team stands as the NFL trade deadline approaches on November 4. There have been questions as to whether the Broncos would be buyers, sellers, or stand pat at the deadline.
Payton said he speaks with Broncos GM George Paton “each day about it,” and while he wouldn’t rule out making a trade, he said he “likes the plan” the team has now. At 5-2, the Broncos are in first place in the AFC West, but they’ve yet to really find their form offensively.
Could a missing piece on offense — a weapon, perhaps — be the missing link to the Broncos finally shifting out of neutral? The trade market could offer some options.
The Athletic‘s Dianna Russini specifically pointed to the tight end position, linking the Broncos in her most recent report on the trade buzz she’s picking up from around the NFL.
“The Broncos are monitoring the tight end market,” Russini reported.
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Sep 21, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku (85) catches the ball as Green Bay Packers linebacker Quay Walker (7) tackles him during the second quarter at Huntington Bank Field. / Scott Galvin-Imagn Images
The Broncos made an offseason acquisition at tight end, signing Evan Engram to a two-year deal. After a slow start due to a couple of injuries, he has begun to pick up steam, but his impact has been much more minimal than probably even the Broncos expected when signing him.
It’s possible the best is yet to come from Engram, though. The entire Broncos offense has been inconsistent, and while there’s been a game here, or a player there, it’s hard to get a bead on this unit because of its overall failure to launch.
Could adding another tight end be the key to unlocking this offense? I have my doubts, but let’s take Russini’s report at face value for now.
The two most interesting tight end names to watch as the trade deadline approaches are Baltimore’s Mark Andrews and Cleveland’s David Njoku. The Ravens’ season has been a bitter disappointment due to the roster being ravaged by the injury bug.
Andrews is a three-time Pro Bowler and is 30 years old. He may have a few good seasons left under his belt. He’s dealt with an injury this year, but it’s safe to say the Ravens are underutilizing their veteran tight end.
Njoku has been a name linked in the NFL trade rumor mill for years. He’s 29 years old, having earned one Pro Bowl nod in his career (2023), but unlike Andrews, Njoku has dealt with a carousel of quarterback problems.
Njoku has just 23 receptions this season for 223 yards and a touchdown, while Andrews has 21 for 174 yards and two scores. Engram has 22 receptions for 179 yards and one touchdown, but most of that production has come over the past four games.
The Broncos are in the best position they’ve been in entering Week 8 since Gary Kubiak was the head coach. There are some roster imperfections, though nothing glaring.
Payton wouldn’t rule out a trade.
“I think there are two weeks or so [until the trade deadline]. George [Paton] and I speak each day about it,” Payton said on Wednesday. “It would just be dependent on a few things, but right now the plan is we like what we currently have, and we’ll kind of approach it that way.”
The Broncos are gearing up to make a run. With Nix on a rookie contract for the next few years, the Broncos are in a position where they can afford to load up on veteran talent, and make a push.
The Broncos only have about $5.2 million in salary-cap space, per Over The Cap. Based on contracts, the Broncos could probably afford to absorb Njoku. Andrews… maybe, but it would depend on how much of his $7 million salary would be prorated based on the number of games already in the books.
I’ll be surprised if the Broncos make a move at the trade deadline. Russini’s reporting is beyond reproach, but I have a hard time viewing tight end as the missing piece of the puzzle.
If anything, it would be a certain type of wide receiver with speed and explosiveness. Even then, the Broncos have those horses.
Whether we’re talking about the tight end, wide receivers, or the offense as a whole, it’s a matter of the Broncos’ design, play-calling, and execution working cohesively. That hasn’t happened yet, and it falls on Payton to figure out why.
No tight end is going to suddenly make Payton a better play-caller, nor the offense suddenly come alive. The Broncos must look to themselves to fix what ails them offensively.
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