Denver Broncos

Well, Melvin Gordon III didn't see that one coming. 

The Denver Broncos running back appeared to be shocked to learn that his team was trading star pass-rusher Von Miller to the Los Angeles Rams on Monday:

The question in Denver is whether a fire sale is coming ahead of Tuesday's NFL trade deadline.

While the Broncos are a solid 4-4 and currently in the mix for a wild-card berth, their wins have come against the Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Giants, New York Jets and Washington Football Team. That group has a combined record of 7-22. 

The losses, meanwhile, have come against the Baltimore Ravens, Las Vegas Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns. Those teams are a combined 18-11. 

In other words, the Broncos have beaten the cellar-dwellers they've faced and lost to the good teams on their schedule. And they have a brutal final stretch, with games against the Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs (twice), Cincinnati Bengals, Raiders and Los Angeles Chargers (twice) still to come. 

The decision to trade Miller suggests the Broncos are being realistic about their playoff chances—or lack thereof—this season. 

That won't be much of a consolation to the players left on the roster like Gordon. But Gordon himself could be a trade candidate, with rookie Javonte Williams looking like his heir apparent at running back. 

Gordon, 28, has had a solid season for the Broncos, rushing for 397 yards and three scores through eight games while adding 18 catches for 148 yards and another two touchdowns. If the Broncos put him on the market, contenders dealing with injuries in their backfield might be intrigued. 

In other words, Gordon might not have much time to get over his bewilderment at Miller being traded. 

The Denver Broncos traded star pass-rusher Von Miller to the Los Angeles Rams for a 2022 second-round pick and a 2022 third-rounder on Monday.

Adam Schefter of ESPN previously reported details of the deal.

After the trade, Miller spoke to reporters about his time with the Broncos:

He also addressed the matter via social media:

After wearing No. 58 in Denver, Miller will sport the No. 40 in Los Angeles, which he also wore in college:

Denver selected Miller with the second overall pick in the 2011 draft. He spent the past decade putting together a resume that's made him a team legend, and he will likely wind up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame after he retires.

The 32-year-old's list of accolades includes eight Pro Bowl appearances, seven All-Pro selections (three first-team and four second-team), the 2011 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award and the Super Bowl 50 MVP Award.

Miller missed the entire 2020 season because of an ankle injury suffered in practice, but he quickly returned to an impact role for the Broncos this year.

The dynamic edge-rusher has recorded 19 total tackles and 4.5 sacks through seven games in 2021. He's received a strong 85.6 overall grade from Pro Football Focus.

"He's well-deserving of the award because he's played really well," Broncos head coach Vic Fangio said after Miller was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Month for September. "We're going to need to continue to have him play really well. I'm really happy for him to see this success, after having the tough injury last year."

Yet with the Broncos struggling to keep pace in the AFC playoff race and the star linebacker in the final season of his six-year, $114.1 million contract, the front office opted to move him before the NFL's Nov. 2 trade deadline.

Miller may no longer be the dominant every-down force he was during his peak years with the Broncos, but the Texas native should still provide a boost to the Rams pass rush for the rest of 2021, if not longer.

The Rams clearly aren't afraid to make bold trades and roster moves in their pursuit of a Super Bowl title. 

The Denver Broncos are off to a respectable 4-4 to start the 2021 season, but don't be shocked if they end up being sellers rather than buyers ahead of Tuesday's NFL trade deadline. 

Peter King of Pro Football Talk wrote Monday that he "would expect" the team to "get calls on Kyle Fuller or Kareem Jackson."

The Broncos have already started emptying the cupboard, trading star pass-rusher Von Miller to the Rams:

Fuller, 29, is currently on a one-year, $9.5 million deal and has already been benched by the Broncos earlier this season. He's fallen well down the pecking order at cornerback in Denver, playing just two snaps in Sunday's 17-10 win over the Washington Football Team. 

The Broncos clearly have Patrick Surtain II, Ronald Darby, Bryce Callahan and Nate Hairston ahead of him on the depth chart:

Add in the fact that the team has 2020 third-rounder Michael Ojemudia also on the roster (currently on injured reserve), and Fuller's time in Denver seems all but over. The only question at this point is whether they'll get anything of value in return in a potential trade. 

Jackson, 33, remains in the team's good graces and still starts at safety, but he's also in the final year of his deal and the Broncos may look to get assets back for a player they may not re-sign in the offseason. 

Dealing Miller is a pretty good indication that the Broncos are willing to part with key players at the right price, even with a potential playoff berth still a possibility. With the four wins coming against teams who have gone a combined 7-22 this season, it would appear Denver is remaining realistic about where it stands as a team.

If the Denver Broncos are put up for sale, don't expect former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst Peyton Manning to be in the running.

"I haven't had any serious conversations with anyone," he said Sunday, per Nick Kosmider of The Athletic. "Certainly there's been some people who have called me who have said, 'Hey, what do you think is going to happen with the Broncos? Are you going to own the team?' I'm like, 'I keep looking for that $3 billion in my pocket. I can't find it. I think it's in a hidden account somewhere.'"

Manning added that even if he were offered an ownership stake in the team, he's unsure if he would take it. 

"I have no relationship or agreement with anybody," he said. "Even if I am offered an opportunity, I haven't decided whether I would actually do it. I like what I'm doing now. I get to stay close to the game. ... I still get to do everything on a one-year-at-a-time basis. Next year, who knows how I'll feel? I'll always be a part of the Broncos in some way."

Manning, who spent the final four seasons of his career with the Broncos and won a Super Bowl with the organization, was inducted into the team's Ring of Fame on Sunday. 

That followed Manning's induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August. 

As for the Broncos, it is believed that the team will be put up for sale after the 2021 season, following a legal battle between Beth Bowlen Wallace—the daughter of the late Pat Bowlen—and the controlling trust Bowlen put in charge of the team in July 2013, composed of president and CEO Joe Ellis, team counsel Rich Slivka and Denver attorney Mary Kelly.

"Our goal is to be able to lay out, when the season is over, for everybody a timeline for transition of ownership that will take place next year, prior to the start of the season," Ellis told reporters in July.

Certainly, Manning would be a popular choice among fans to find his way into an ownership group. But for now, it doesn't sound like he has plans of that nature. 

There's a chance that Von Miller has played his final game as a member of the Denver Broncos with the NFL trade deadline looming. 

Per CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora, there are "several" teams that could make a "full-throated pursuit" of Miller ahead of Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET deadline. 

One general manager told La Canfora he doesn't know why the Broncos wouldn't at least explore a trade involving Miller. 

"He has wanted out for a while, he won't be back there next year, they are struggling with him," the GM said. "Probably will have a new coach next year. George [rookie GM George Paton] has to be looking for picks at this point."

There has been speculation going back two years that Miller has been unhappy with the state of the Broncos organization. He told reporters after a December 2019 defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs that he was "at a loss for words" with where things were in Denver:

At the start of training camp this season, Miller said he is "totally at peace" if 2021 ends up being his final year with the Broncos. 

Miller left Denver's Week 7 loss to the Cleveland Browns with an ankle injury. He's listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Washington Football Team after not practicing all week. 

An eight-time Pro Bowler, Miller is playing out the final season of a six-year, $114 million contract extension he signed in July 2016. He has had a solid start in 2021 with 4.5 sacks in seven games after missing all of last season with a dislocated peroneal tendon in his ankle. 

Miller has spent his entire career in Denver after being the No. 2 overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft. He is the franchise's all-time leader with 110.5 sacks. The 32-year-old recorded five sacks and two tackles for loss in the 2015 postseason to help the Broncos win Super Bowl 50 over the Carolina Panthers. 

Since starting this season 3-0, the Broncos have lost four straight games. During the losing streak, they have averaged 16 points per game and have allowed at least 23 points three times. 

The Denver Broncos could be the next NFL franchise for sale, but Peter King of NBC Sports reported Jeff Bezos is "not interested." 

"At least now he's not," King added.

King also noted fellow owners Jerry Jones and Robert Kraft would love to see the Amazon founder get involved with an NFL team. Bezos topped the 2021 Forbes list of the richest people in the world with a net worth of $177 billion.

A.J. Perez of Front Office Sports reported in September that Bezos "remains interested in NFL ownership" and previously discussed purchasing a minority share of the Washington Football Team.

The Broncos situation has been in flux since the 2019 death of previous owner Pat Bowlen.

As Woody Paige of the Colorado Springs Gazette detailed, Bowlen's seven children have struggled to determine a succession plan that has involved the courts and the team's trustees. The lack of agreement could lead to an eventual sale of the franchise.

According to King, at least four people have looked into purchasing the Broncos. 

Denver Broncos head coach Vic Fangio isn't concerned about losing his job despite a four-game losing streak after starting the season 3-0. 

"I'm not worried about my coaching status," Fangio told reporters Friday. "What I'm worried about is this team."

The Broncos dropped to 3-4 on the season with a 17-14 loss to the Baker Mayfield-less Cleveland Browns on Thursday night. After the game, Fangio said his coaching staff needs to do a better job of making in-game adjustments.

"We just have to play better, and we have to coach better," Fangio said, via Sports Illustrated. "I do not want to be remiss in saying that. We have to coach better, and we have got to adjust to what we have right now."

The Broncos are underperforming across the board. While the Denver offense ranks toward the top in the NFL in completion percentage (69 percent) and passing yards (1,814 yards), it ranks toward the middle of the league in passing touchdowns (12) and toward the bottom of the league in yards per attempt (7.2). 

The Broncos' defense has particularly struggled, as it has allowed more than 20 points in three of Denver's last four games after limiting opposing offenses through the first three weeks of the season. 

When asked about the rumors surrounding his job status on Monday, Fangio responded, per The Athletic:

“I just tune it out, really,” he said. “This is the NFL. And when that happens, that’s natural. We expect it and that’s just part of the deal.”

With issues continuing to mount, it's hard to ignore the fact that Fangio almost lost his job last season, too, following a 5-11 finish. However, the Broncos decided to keep him on for the 2021 season because they "believed in" the 63-year-old, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported in December 2020. 

"They know how he operates, respect his approach and believe he was dealt a difficult hand this season between the Broncos' early-season injuries -- including to star pass-rusher Von Miller and top wide receiver Courtland Sutton -- and other challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic," Schefter wrote at the time. 

Fangio doesn't have similar issues this season. Sutton is back and has appeared in all seven games, as has Miller. The COVID-19 challenges also haven't been nearly as bad, with many players opting to get vaccinated to avoid interruptions. 

Fangio is 15-24 in his three seasons as head coach of the Broncos. If something doesn't change, he'll likely be on his way out as the franchise hasn't made the playoffs since it won the Super Bowl during the 2015 season.  

Denver Broncos wide receiver Jerry Jeudy has been cleared to return from an ankle injury and could play as soon as Week 8.

According to Zac Stevens of DNVR Sports, Broncos head coach Vic Fangio said Jeudy was cleared to play in Thursday night's game against the Cleveland Browns, but he didn't think it was fair to put him on the field without any practice time. Fangio added that he believes Jeudy will be good to go next week against the Washington Football Team, however.

The 22-year-old suffered an ankle injury during Denver's Week 1 win over the New York Giants, and he has subsequently missed the past six games. Jeudy played well in the one game he has appeared in this season, making six catches for 72 yards.

Jeudy was healthy enough to play in all 16 games as a rookie last season, and he finished with 52 catches for 856 yards and three touchdowns.

The Alabama product has flashed the potential that convinced the Broncos to select him with the No. 15 overall pick of the 2020 NFL draft on multiple occasions, and he figures to be a key part of the team's aerial attack for seasons to come despite the injury issues he has dealt with this season.

Jeudy's impending return could not come at a better time for the Broncos, as they have dropped each of their past four games after starting the season 3-0.

The talented wideout will improve an already talented Broncos receiving corps that is headlined by Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick and Kendall Hinton.

When Jeudy does officially return to action, he will likely battle Sutton for the title of quarterback Teddy Bridgewater's No. 1 target in the passing game.

Denver Broncos head coach Vic Fangio gave quarterback Teddy Bridgewater a vote of confidence following Thursday's 17-14 loss to the Cleveland Browns.

While addressing the media after the game, Fangio said: "I thought he played good, especially there in the second half. I do not think Teddy's injuries from my vantage point affected him that much. I thought that he was courageous. He is our quarterback."

Bridgewater entered Thursday's contest with a questionable designation because of foot and quad injuries, but he managed to play through the ailments.

In defeat, Bridgewater went 23-of-33 as a passer for 187 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. He nearly led Denver back from a 10-0 halftime deficit, but Cleveland hung on thanks largely to the performance of running back D'Ernest Johnson, who rushed for 146 yards.

Bridgewater beat out Drew Lock in the starting quarterback competition during the preseason, and he has started all seven games this season despite dealing with foot and quad injuries, as well as a concussion.

There was a great deal of excitement surrounding the Broncos early in the season after they got off to a 3-0 start, but they have stumbled since the schedule got more difficult, falling to 3-4 with four consecutive losses.

While Bridgewater hasn't been dominant by any means, his overall numbers are solid, as he has completed 70.1 percent of his passes for 1,701 yards, 12 touchdowns and five interceptions.

He is performing at a level similar to last season when he started 15 games for the Carolina Panthers, throwing for 3,733 yards, 15 touchdowns and 11 picks.

Last season marked the first time since 2015 with the Minnesota Vikings that Bridgewater started more than five games in a season.

All told, Bridgewater is 29-27 as a starting quarterback during the regular season in his career, and it is possible he is the best option for the Broncos right now.

Lock, who was a second-round draft pick in 2019, went just 4-9 as a starter last season, completing 57.3 percent of his passes for 2,933 yards, 16 touchdowns and an NFL-high 15 interceptions.

He hasn't been much better in limited duty this season, going 12-of-21 for 113 yards with no touchdowns and one pick.

All signs point toward Fangio sticking with Bridgewater for now ahead of what feels like a must-win home game against the Washington Football Team next week.

If Denver loses that game, its playoff hopes will be hanging by a thread at 3-5, and it may then be time to consider a change under center.