Believe it or not, the 2026 NFL trade deadline is slowly creeping up on us. While the Denver Broncos typically aren't after any in-season blockbuster deals, the right player might cause them to make an exception.
And the "right" player might be available for the "right" price in Detroit.
The Lions are at a stalemate in contract talks with star tight end Sam LaPorta, and given the fact that they have paid so many other players in recent years, there is maybe at least a little reason to believe they would part with him for the right price.
Even though it would cost a lot, the Broncos also have a lot at stake this season. And LaPorta could be a big piece of the offense for the long haul. Let's make it make some sense.
Broncos should have TE Sam LaPorta on their trade deadline radar in 2026
Before the Broncos are going to be buyers at the November 10 trade deadline, they're going to have to win some more games. Luckily, they have a chance to win two games in a four-day span, and could be 4-2 in the blink of an eye.
As optimistic as that may be, the Broncos have five more games before the trade deadline, which also just so happens to be their bye week. Even in a rough scenario where the Broncos are 4-5 at the deadline, a trade for someone like LaPorta would still make plenty of sense.
There are few teams who lack production at the tight end position to the same degree as the Denver Broncos. This has been a longstanding issue for the team that they simply haven't been able to fix.
Sure, there are moments from players like Evan Engram and Nate Adkins, but the Broncos have been searching high and low for a fix at the position, and they haven't found it.
The investment the team has made in Evan Engram looked like a mistake after his first season with the team, and is looking more and more like a mistake as time goes along. The team's decision to re-sign Adam Trautman during the 2026 offseason felt like a commitment to mediocrity at the position.
The Broncos recognized their own need at the position by spending two draft picks on it in 2026. They traded up to draft Justin Joly out of North Carolina State, and he didn't even make the roster out of training camp. They used a 7th-round pick on Dallen Bentley, an older prospect who is waiting in the wings at this point.
As many other ways as they have tried to fix the issue at this point, the Broncos might need to consider moving off of a 2nd-round pick (and probably more) to get LaPorta off the Lions' hands.
LaPorta is still just 25 years old and won't turn 26 until January. He's likely looking for a contract that will be worth somewhere between $17-20 million in average annual value. Although the Broncos have plenty of contract situations of their own coming up, this is the type of investment in the offense that is probably needed.
The Broncos are going to have to go younger on the offensive line beyond this season, as well as commit to the youth movement (plus Jaylen Waddle) at receiver. They will be able to justify a bigger investment at tight end like this, especially for a player of LaPorta's caliber.
So far in his NFL career, LaPorta averages well over 800 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns per 17 games played.
If the Lions struggle prior to the November 10 trade deadline, it's very possible they will at least listen to offers on LaPorta, given how much they already have committed financially elsewhere on the roster (and how much that defense needs). The Broncos would be wise to swoop in and see if Sean Payton can't get a deal done with his old pal Dan Campbell.
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