Broncos trade deadline plan shows a complete lack of faith in Sean Payton, Bo Nix

One of the biggest surprises of the 2024 regular season as we approach the NFL Trade Deadline and, thus, the midway point of the campaign, has been the Denver Broncos. Sean Payton's club enters Week 9 with a shocking 5-3 record and with the fanbase dreaming of the playoffs.

Rookie quarterback Bo Nix has started to come into his own of late, protecting the football, making plays with his arm and legs, and simply helping to create a functional offense the Broncos haven't seen it some time. And with one of the better defenses in the NFL helping to protect him, it's been a far better season than anyone imagined after the Russell Wilson debacle.

If only the front office believed in it — at least that's how fans should feel after the latest rumor surrounding Denver's plans at the forthcoming NFL Trade Deadline.

Broncos rumored to stand pat at trade deadline, showing little faith in the team

The Athletic NFL insider Dianna Russini reported on Saturday, just three days before the deadline, that she doesn't "expect the Broncos to be buyers or sellers." That stance is rooted, per her reporting, in the internal belief in the young players on the Denver roster and what they can continue to build upon moving forward.

Translation: Don't expect the Broncos to make any real move of consequence at the trade deadline.

To some degree, I can understand liking the young core. Where that falls apart for me, however, is how thoroughly devoid of offensive playmakers the Broncos look. Nix's success appears to be in spite of what he has around him. Jaleel McLaughlin has looked explosive but, beyond that, it's a pretty barrent landscape. Why not look to make a move that helps put your elected franchise quarterback in a better position to keep progressing?

Maybe this is reaching, but this feels like a lack of faith from the front office. To be sure, there is some reason to warrant a lack of faith. The Broncos have five wins on the season but none of those victories have come against teams with a record above .500 at this point of the year. Denver's signature win to this point was a 26-7 triumph over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but the rest have come against the Panthers, Jets, Saints and Raiders.

We'll find out what the true ceiling of the Broncos is in the coming weeks, without question, as Payton's club visits the Ravens and Chiefs in the next two weeks before facing the Falcons in Denver. Having said that, if the arrow continues to point up after that stretch for this team, it'll be hard to justify not being a bit more aggressive at the trade deadline if the strategy of standing pat holds true.