Sean Payton: ‘We’re not openly, or even remotely, shopping anyone’

After defeating the Kansas City Chiefs by the score of 24-9, ending their 16-game losing streak, and moving to a 3-5 record, all eyes are now on the Broncos plans for the trade deadline. Prior to this game, all the news, reports, and rumors were about how the team is going to have a “fire sale”, and trade multiple veterans, and trade rumors for players, specifically wide receiver Jerry Jeudy were everywhere.

Now, with a two-game win streak and an outside chance to make the postseason, will the Denver Broncos be sellers at the deadline? Well, if you listen to head coach Sean Payton, it sure doesn’t sound like they will. He told reporters today that the team is “not even remotely shopping anyone” and that they are looking at the next opponent instead.

After the game yesterday, Payton was asked about the Broncos' approach at the deadline after their upset victory over the Chiefs. He downplayed the entire situation, mentioned how the media has to run with rumors, and how he chuckles when he sees or hears these rumors.

“There’s no approach. Honestly, and you guys know this, it’s a busy time of the year and there’s pressure on news media to be on top of potential stories, trade stories. The teams that aren’t doing as well always fall into this position, and I understand it, but we’re not the team looking to go out and buy. We can’t control the buyers that call. We always pick the phone up—you have to professionally, but that’s it. This doesn’t—we have a plan on where we see ourselves, and that’s an honest answer. When I see or hear things, I chuckle because I’m thinking, ‘Well I haven’t talked to anyone about that,’ and if I haven’t, then it’s probably not true.”

Now, this does not rule out the possibility of a trade, but a sign that the team is not desperate about selling off pieces and that a fire sale looks unlikely. Sure, a 3-5 record is not what we all wanted or expected, but it does put the Broncos in the running for one of the final wild card spots. The Broncos now are part of a cluster of 3 to 4-win teams all fighting for that spot. So, it would be odd timing to sell pieces when the team is finally putting it together and playing their best football of the season.

I was very pro “blow it up” and “tank” for Caleb Williams but things have changed. The Broncos have an outside shot at the postseason and have a fairly favorable second-half schedule on paper. If they can put together a run and possibly upset the Bills, another AFC favorite, coming off their bye week, we can start looking at this scenario more seriously.

In the short term, I would expect a fairly quiet trade deadline. Maybe we see a deal go down, but nothing like we were all hearing in the past days and weeks leading up to the deadline.