The Denver Broncos are 6-2, and one of the top teams vying for trade candidates at the upcoming NFL trade deadline. With a stellar defense, the Broncos’ top needs are on the offensive side of the ball.
With a strong running back room, offensive line, and a franchise quarterback in Bo Nix, the two areas of need are the wide receiver room and the tight end room. They’ve already been trying to land a tight end, coming up short not once, but twice in waivers.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Broncos tried putting in claims for two tight ends, losing both to the Cleveland Browns and Minnesota Vikings.
Broncos lose two tight-ends to Browns, Vikings in waiver claims
“Broncos put in waiver claims Monday for TE Brendan Bates and TE Ben Sims,” Schefter reports. “But Cleveland had a higher claim and was awarded Bates, and Minnesota had a higher claim and was awarded Sims.”
Broncos put in waiver claims Monday for TE Brendan Bates and TE Ben Sims. But Cleveland had a higher claim and was awarded Bates, and Minnesota had a higher claim and was awarded Sims.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 28, 2025
Denver tried adding Bates and Sims to their tight end room, but missed out on both since the Browns and Vikings have higher waiver claims. But how do the Browns and Vikings have higher claims?
Similar to the NFL Draft, the waiver process is the inverse of the NFL standings. With the Broncos at 6-2, one of the best records in the NFL, there are only so many teams they could beat out in waivers.
The Browns are at 2-6, and the Vikings are at 3-4; both have higher claims due to their worse records. Meaning that both Bates and Sims, despite the Broncos putting in claims for both, wound up with the Browns and Vikings.
More: Broncos’ Evan Engram could have tight end competition amid trade rumors
Their current tight end room consists of Evan Engram, Nate Adkins, Adam Trautman, and Lucas Krull. But, with Adkins dealing with a knee injury, and with Krull out for the majority of the year with a foot issue, the already tight-end-needy Broncos have a clear need at the position.
They’ve been linked to the tight end trade market, and after missing out on these two tight ends, the Broncos’ landing a new tight end in the coming week wouldn’t be strange.
For now, they’ve missed out on two of their options, losing both to teams with higher waiver claims than they have. Sean Payton will continue to look for a new tight end to add to a depleted room, whether it’s a free agent, waiver claim, or a trade.
