DENVER — The clock is ticking on the 2026 NFL offseason, and Sean Payton’s offense needs serious help. Bo Nix took plenty of hits last year, but the glaring hole remains right in the middle of the field. The premier Denver Broncos tight end targets must prioritize pure athleticism over aging veterans. You could almost feel the freezing air leave Empower Field at Mile High every time a critical third-down pass hit the turf last December. Evan Engram and Adam Trautman simply cannot carry the load anymore. The front office even dragged Marcedes Lewis onto the active roster in pure desperation. Denver needs speed. Denver needs size. They need a weapon.
Trey McBride bulldozed the record books in 2025. The Arizona Cardinals tight end snatched 126 receptions for 1,239 yards and 11 touchdowns. He didn’t just break the single-season receptions record for tight ends; he humiliated opposing linebackers. McBride commands a massive four-year, $76 million contract, making a clean free-agent signing impossible. Denver must orchestrate a trade.
McBride’s journey hits close to home. Growing up in Fort Morgan and playing at Colorado State, he dreamed of playing under the stadium lights in Denver. Bringing the local kid back to Colorado adds pure electricity to the fanbase. He possesses the exact blocking strength and red-zone lethality Nix desperately needs. The Cardinals wallow at the bottom of the NFC West. If McBride demands a ticket out of the desert to chase a ring, the Broncos must pick up the phone.
Kyle Pitts Sr. stands out as the ultimate free-agent prize. At 6-foot-6 and 250 pounds, Pitts creates matchup nightmares. He hauled in 88 passes for 928 yards and five touchdowns last season for the Atlanta Falcons, averaging a lethal 10.5 yards per catch. The former Florida Gator catches everything thrown in his zip code.
Defenses cheated toward the sidelines last year. Without a threat over the middle, safeties camped out, suffocating Denver’s deep passing game. His massive catch radius would allow Nix to drop passes into tight windows he previously avoided. Pitts rips the top off defenses and turns quick flat routes into massive gains. If Denver writes the check, their offense transforms immediately.
“We left too many plays out on the field last season. When we hit the red zone, we need a guy who can just box out a defender and go get the football. That’s the missing piece.”
— Bo Nix, Quarterback
The bitter cold winds of the AFC West demand a tight end who can put his hand in the dirt and block, then seamlessly sprint down the seam. Denver fell agonizingly short of Super Bowl LX. The AFC West remains an absolute gauntlet, and signing Pitts or trading for McBride completely alters the Kansas City Chiefs’ defensive strategy against Denver. Defensive coordinators currently double-team the outside receivers and stack the box. An elite tight end forces safeties to play honest.
General Manager George Paton has roughly $28.6 million in cap space. He must address Engram’s massive $14 million cap hit to make room for a younger, explosive target. If they land Pitts or McBride, the Broncos immediately leap into tier-one title contention.
