After trashing Nathaniel Hackett for “one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL” last season, Sean Payton is sitting at 1-4 in his first season with the Broncos after Sunday’s loss to Hackett’s Jets.
And with the franchise stuck in a rut, the players are bracing for Payton and Co. to blow up the roster.
“A potential teardown is coming. That’s just the way some of these players feel,” NFL Network’s James Palmer reported on “The Insiders” on Monday. “There are thoughts in that locker room to where changes could start happening in terms of this roster before the trade deadline.”
The Broncos already made a big move when they traded Randy Gregory, the former Cowboys pass rusher whom they signed to a five-year, $70 million contract in 2022, to the 49ers last week after reportedly considering releasing him.
That trade “really shook up” the players, Palmer reported, and it could be just the beginning.
ESPN initially reported Sunday that Denver has been receiving calls on other players ahead of the Oct. 31 trade deadline.
The Broncos thought they were changing their fortunes when they traded for Russell Wilson in 2022, but he proceeded to have the worst year of his career, throwing for 3,524 yards, 16 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and a 60.5 completion percentage.
He’s completing 66.9 percent of his passes through five games this year, but his late fumble Sunday against the Jets cost the Broncos their chance at a comeback.
With less than 40 seconds left on Denver’s 41-yard line and trailing by three points, Wilson fumbled while scrambling to his left, leading to Bryce Hall’s game-sealing touchdown.
Payton did not seem pleased with Wilson as the quarterback returned to the sideline following the fumble.
Now the Broncos have to deal with the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs on a short week, traveling to Kansas City for “Thursday Night Football.”
Denver has lost 15 straight games to Kansas City.
The Broncos’ home rematch with the Chiefs comes just two weeks later on Oct. 29, with a home game against the Packers in between, so things could get even uglier as a sell-off looms.