Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh is right to call out the league for a broken rule that lets teams walk away from a trade after a physical fails. The NFL permitted the Denver Broncos to reject a deal for linebacker Daiyan Henley after a medical grade changed the compensation terms.
The Medical Grade Loophole
Harbaugh said the league must fix the issue immediately, saying it sets a terrible standard for how trades work. He stated that the Broncos based their decision on a medical grade and whether the Chargers would take less compensation. “The Broncos based a pass-fail on a medical grade, based on whether we would take less compensation. And we wouldn’t. And we didn’t,” Harbaugh said. The coach argued that the Broncos would have passed the player if the draft picks had been different.
The Broncos sought a revised trade with a fourth-rounder and a seventh-rounder or another pick flip. The Chargers refused these new terms. Harbaugh called this a loophole that teams should not have the ability to use. “And in my opinion it’s one of those loopholes that the league should really look into because it sets a bad precedent and it continues to set a bad precedent,” he said.
Why the Deal Fell Apart
Henley has been productive for the Chargers this season despite his injury history. He leads the team with 51 tackles and has added an interception, a forced fumble, two pass breakups, and a half-sack in eight games. The 2023 third-round pick was listed on the injury report twice this year due to a knee issue and a shoulder issue. Yet he started against the Houston Texans on Sunday and played 57 defensive snaps.
Harbaugh expressed confusion about why a player healthy enough to play for the Chargers could not pass a physical for the Broncos. The Broncos issued a statement saying they have great respect for Daiyan as a player and person. “We have great respect for Daiyan as a player and person, and we wish him all the best moving forward,” the Broncos said in a statement. The Chargers are now stuck with their current roster as they enter Week 10 with an 0-8 record.
A Bad Precedent for the League
Harbaugh noted that the ability to reopen a deal based on a medical finding is wrong. “It shouldn’t be, but apparently it is,” Harbaugh said regarding the ability to renegotiate. He explained that the Broncos told the Chargers they would not pass the player if the compensation was a fourth and a fifth pick. They would only pass him for a fourth and a different pick.
