How Broncos' Huge Win Over Chiefs Changed Their NFL Trade Deadline Outlook

Jonah Coleman has been a revelation over the past two weeks.

But in the face of J.K. Dobbins's continued regression, has Coleman's emergence been enough to move the Denver Broncos away from trading for a running back ahead of the November 10 deadline?

That's the question. The Broncos are riding high after stunning the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, erasing an 11-point fourth-quarter lead to win 28-24 at Mile High.

Coleman was a big part of that fourth-quarter resurgence, with some explosive running, a massive 51-yard catch-and-run, and the go-ahead touchdown. Dobbins was again relegated to the bench in the second half on the heels of his impotent 13 yards rushing on seven carries.

Obviously, the Broncos didn't expect Dobbins to be this slow in getting up to speed after recovering from the Lisfranc foot injury that ended his 2025 campaign in Week 10, or else they wouldn't have given him the two-year, $16 million deal he signed in March. If Denver had a crystal ball, it would have let him depart to Jacksonville and let his recovering be the Jaguars' problem.

Alas, nobody can see the future, but the past can often serve as a reliable predictor. After Dobbins was lost for the season, the Broncos' ground game was reduced to a rookie RJ Harvey late last year, complemented occasionally by a Jaleel McLaughlin or Tyler Badie carry.

Harvey was nowhere near up to the task of carrying a playoff team's run game, though he did have a few shining moments. Sitting at 6-2 now, with a half-game lead over the Chiefs in the AFC West, the Broncos have to decide whether they're willing to roll the dice on the possibility of Coleman being the only reliable playmaker in the backfield behind Bo Nix.

It doesn't appear that Dobbins is going to suddenly turn the ship around, despite his recent comments, and Harvey is on injured reserve for at least three more games, after suffering a knee injury during practice last week. Meanwhile, the trade deadline is a week away, and the Broncos have a full complement of 2027 draft picks.

Top Trade Option

Jonathan Taylor sure looks attractive, although the Indianapolis Colts have already received an offer of a second-round pick for the talented back. Taylor is the same age as Dobbins (almost 28), but he's rapidly approaching the 2,000-carry milestone, which is often when a running back will begin to decline, sometimes precipitously.

Taylor has 1,699 NFL carries, plus 208 receptions since entering the league in 2020. That's a lot of wear and tear on his tires. Unlike Dobbins, Taylor has managed to avoid major injury as a pro, but because of that, there's a lot of mileage on his odometer.

Taylor is also averaging a career-low 4.1 yards per carry and his explosive play rate has declined this season. Whether that's due to the Colts' offensive line or the vagaries of Father Time is anyone's guess, but those are the facts.

The good news is that, about the time Taylor hits the 2,000-carry milestone, his contract will be much closer to expiring, so that could offer the Broncos a bit more peace of mind. He's under contract for $15 million in 2027 and $9.6 million in 2028, so he's not overly expensive — it's more about the draft capital the Colts will want in exchange for him.

Tony Pollard & Breece Hall

There are other backs the Broncos could consider, like Tennessee's Tony Pollard, who has just 15 fewer rush yards than Taylor's 610 yards this season, and would come at a fraction of the cost. Another option would be Breece Hall, whom the New York Jets are obviously protecting ahead of the deadline, holding him out of Sunday's game.

Hall is having a terrible season, having appeared in only three games, with 163 rushing yards and a touchdown on 51 carries (3.2 avg.). Perhaps a change of scenery could do him wonders, but he has an injury history and ball security issues, at times.

The Broncos have been linked to Hall in the recent past, so it's possible they could reach out to the Jets and talk to GM Darren Mougey, who served as GM George Paton's top lieutenant for years. Who knows? Perhaps Mougey would cut Paton a deal for Hall.

The Takeaway

I held out hope that Dobbins would eventually snap out of his funk, and turn things around. I attributed his struggles to the brutality of Denver's inital schedule, but he's just not improving.

And when Coleman hits the field, and finds plenty of yards and plays to be had behind the same Broncos offensive line that was getting pilloried for not opening things up for Dobbins, it's much harder to give the veteran the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps the third major injury of Dobbins's NFL career was the straw that broke the camel's back and he may never return to form.

The Broncos are paying him moderately well to perform, though. And Sean Payton has nine more games to prepare for, and if the Broncos achieve their goal of winning the division, a playoff run to anticipate.

Denver will need a reliable ground attack to go the distance. Coleman has been an exciting revelation, but as a rookie, I'm not sure the Broncos would be wise to rely on him to carry the load when things get tough in late December and January.

Despite Coleman's huge day against the Chiefs, because Dobbins was so terrible yet again, the Broncos have to stay in the trade conversations taking place across the league. Pollard or Hall could be an asset to the Broncos' ground attack, but Taylor would be an immediate difference-maker capable of elevating the offense to another level, especially with Coleman as part of a one-two punch.

Harvey will eventually return from IR, but he's more of a 'joker' receiving option than a ball carrier the Broncos could lean on. This team has Nix on a rookie contract for only two more seasons, so if there's a big move to be made to get the Broncos over the hump, now's the time to swing.

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