The most notable player the Denver Broncos lost to injury against the Dallas Cowboys was star cornerback and reigning Defensive Player of the Year Pat Surtain II. That injury looms large, but so does a much more underrated loss that occurred in the win vs. Dallas.
Tight end Nate Adkins has been a Swiss Army Knife for Sean Payton's offense as a tight end, lead blocker, and even special teams asset. The Broncos lost Adkins before the start of the 2025 season as well, but could now be missing him for an extensive time yet again.
According to Mike Klis of 9News in Denver, Adkins suffered a knee injury that "might be significant", which could prompt the team's next move. At least, it should.
Broncos have obvious move after losing TE Nate Adkins to injury vs. Cowboys
With Lucas Krull undergoing foot surgery as we type and Nate Adkins' knee injury yesterday looking like it might be significant, Broncos may be looking for No. 3 TE help. They have TEs Patrick Murtagh and Caleb Lohner on practice squad.
— MikeKlis9NEWS (@mikeklis9news) October 27, 2025
Adam Trautman, Evan Engram are top 2.
Adkins only had six catches in six games for the Broncos this year (one touchdown), but he's played 144 snaps in the six games offensively and 36 special teams snaps.
Adam Trautman is still playing 48 percent of the offensive snaps for Sean Payton and the offense, so the Broncos have a clear 1-2 punch with Trautman and Evan Engram, but the role of Adkins is a big one. The Broncos need to figure out a way to supplement their depth there, because they not only lost Adkins, but Lucas Krull is also going under the knife (or has gone under the knife).
The Broncos have a couple of players on the practice squad at the tight end position in rookie Caleb Lohner, who is likely not ready, as well as international player Patrick Murtagh, whose status as far as actually playing is a complete unknown at this point.
There have been rumors of players names being floated around like TJ Hockenson of the Vikings, Chig Okonkwo of the Titans, Luke Musgrave of the Packers, and David Njoku of the Browns. The Broncos might not go after a big-name player, but they really don't have a choice at this point other than to supplement their depth with someone experienced.
The losses of Adkins, Krull, and even fullback Michael Burton before the start of the season have all added up at this point. The Broncos need someone who can capably fill in and be trusted to play a bigger role in the offense, especially because now, they are just one more injury away from almost a complete disaster.
The Broncos currently have 10 selections available in the 2026 NFL Draft with projected compensatory picks, so trading for a veteran tight end should be on the horizon for GM George Paton.