Broncos stand pat at trade deadline after all as they lean on defense and try to jump-start offense

DENVER (AP) — The schedule gets a lot less daunting for Denver now that the Broncos have emerged from a brutal two-month stretch with a 7-2 record and stand atop the AFC West by a half game over the Kansas City Chiefs entering Week 10. Then again, nothing comes easy for these Broncos, who scuttled their trade for Chargers linebacker Daiyan Henley on Thursday, leaving them with a status quo roster for the stretch run. The Broncos have won five close games this season, stretching their streak of victories in one-score games to an NFL-record 16 straight, a remarkable run that began with a fourth-quarter comeback in Philadelphia early last season. Many observers predicted their 11 one-score wins in 2025 would lead to a reversal of fortunes in 2026, and coach Sean Payton said during training camp the best way to keep that flip-flop at bay was to avoid close games altogether. That hasn’t happened.

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