Broncos acquire multiple picks in Emmanuel Sanders trade

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Emmanuel Sanders era in Denver is over.

On Tuesday, the Broncos traded the veteran receiver to the San Francisco 49ers, ending his six-year run with the team.

Along with Sanders, Denver sent a 2020 fifth-round pick to San Francisco in exchange for the 49ers’ third and fourth-round picks in the 2020 draft.

Additionally, the Broncos freed up roughly $6 million in cap space by dealing Sanders at this point in the season.

Sanders leaves Denver with the seventh-most receptions in franchise history (404), the fifth-most receiving yards (5,361) and the 12th-most receiving touchdowns (28).

The former third-round pick in 2010 joined the Broncos in 2014 after four seasons with the Steelers.

Alongside Peyton Manning, Sanders had a career-best year his first year in Denver, pulling in 101 catches for 1,404 yards and nine touchdowns.

The two-time Pro Bowler had three 1,000-yard seasons, but saw his productivity drop in 2017 and 2018 as injuries mounted. Sanders’ 2018 season ended four games early after tearing his Achilles.

During the offseason and start of the season, the 32-year old showed he had fully recovered from the major injury and was a featured part of Denver’s offense.

Through the first four weeks of the season, Sanders had 23 receptions for 298 yards and two touchdowns. However, that changed significantly the following three weeks leading up to his trade, when he only had seven receptions for 69 yards and zero touchdowns combined.

With the Broncos sitting at 2-5, and Sanders on the final year of his contract, John Elway felt it was time to get value for Sanders.

Without Emmanuel, Denver’s remaining receivers are Courtland Sutton, DaeSean Hamilton, Diontae Spencer, Juwann Winfree and Fred Brown. Trinity Benson is also on the practice squad.

With Sanders’ departure, the Broncos now have no remaining offensive players from the Super Bowl 50 team.