Broncos HC Sean Payton Gives Hint on NFL Trade Deadline Plans

What appears fairly certain is that the 5-2 Denver Broncos — currently leading the AFC West and holding the conference's No. 3 seed — won't be looking to sell off assets at the upcoming Nov. 4 NFL trade deadline.

Whether they'll acquire assets, however, is less so. Unlikely even, if you trust head coach Sean Payton, who let slip a hint as to the team's plans.

“I think there are two weeks or so [until the trade deadline]. [General Manager] George [Paton] and I speak each day about it," Payton told reporters following Wednesday's practice. "It would just be dependent on a few things, but right now the plan is we like what we currently have, and we’ll kind of approach it that way.”

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Winners of four straight, the Broncos fortunately don't have any explicit roster needs, save for maybe a replacement left guard while starter Ben Powers is on the shelf. To that end, 9NEWS' Mike Klis recently mentioned Cleveland's Joel Bitonio as a "possible" trade target.

"He’s 34, a 12-year starter, all with Browns. Playing on a one-year, $15 million contract which is steep and might have to be reworked for cap purposes. But he’d be an ideal one-year rental player," Klis wrote on Oct. 21. "He’s good friends with Broncos’ left tackle Garett Bolles, a relationship built through having the same agency representatives. A player of Bitonio’s stature may well have a say in a possible trade but a chance to play for a likely playoff team could be enticing for a player near the end of his career."

Sep 7, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns guard Joel Bitonio (75) at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Another potential area of need (though not for quantity) is wide receiver — specifically, an upgrade over Troy Franklin at WR2, opposite Courtland Sutton. If Payton goes hunting there, he might look to his former employer, the New Orleans Saints, who are rumored to be dangling WRs Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed on the block.

CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones reported Thursday that the Broncos are "perhaps the biggest contender" to land a wideout by the deadline.

"Courtland Sutton is 30-years-old and just signed a four-year extension with an out after next season. Denver has all of its picks through the fifth round and added a fourth from the Saints in the preseason," Jones reasoned. "The Broncos are 5-2 with a top-ranked defense and a quarterback on his rookie deal for at least another season. Folks around the league are watching the Broncos to see how aggressive they may be."

Stay tuned.