NFL Trade Rumors: Some Broncos Players Believe ‘Potential Teardown Is Coming’

The disappointing start to the 2023 season continued for the Denver Broncos after Sunday’s loss to the New York Jets, and it sounds like there could be consequences soon.

According to James Palmer of NFL Network, some Broncos players believe there’s a chance significant changes are coming to the roster.

“Being there yesterday, the sense that I get from players in that locker room is a potential teardown is coming,” Palmer said. “That’s just the way some of these players feel.”

After falling to 1-4, Denver is on the verge of yet another lost season, which is hardly what the franchise expected when Sean Payton was hired as head coach this offseason. Palmer noted that roster moves could come “before the trade deadline” and he pointed to Friday’s trade of veteran defensive end Randy Gregory as something that alarmed other players.

“That move… that’s what really shook up this group if you ask my opinion, talking to players, it was ‘OK, now Sean Payton’s gonna come in and start doing things his way, in a sense,'” Palmer said.

The Broncos held a five-point lead at halftime before suffering a 31-21 loss to the Jets. Denver struggled mightily to move the ball, as its first five possessions of the second half amounted to -18 yards. The team’s defense wasn’t much better, as it allowed a 72-yard touchdown run by Jets running back Breece Hall on New York’s first possession of the third quarter.

Payton took over a team that went 5-12 last season. Pairing him with veteran quarterback Russell Wilson initially looked like a perfect match, but things unraveled once the 2023 campaign started. The Broncos have not been able to find consistency on offense and their defense ranks last in the NFL with opponents averaging 450.6 yards per game.

Denver will try to turn its fortune around when it returns to action on Thursday Night Football against the Kansas City Chiefs.