Noah Fant tells Stokley and Zach he found out he was traded on ESPN

There’s always a human element to trades people may not think about.

The excitement of acquiring Russell Wilson in Broncos Country meant disappointment for three former members of the team in Drew Lock, Shelby Harris and Noah Fant. Those guys had their lives uprooted with the news they were the players heading to Seattle in the Wilson deal. Yes, they’re well compensated, but it still has to come as a shock to know your whole world is changing in an instant.

Fant, a regular on Stokley and Zach the last two seasons, joined the guys on Wednesday afternoon to discuss being shipped out of Denver, his time with the Broncos and plenty more.

Right off the bat, Fant told the guys the news of the trade came out of left field.

“Just like everybody else did, which was kind of a shock to me,” Fant said when asked how he found out he was being moved. “Kind of a blow up my world a little bit. I was actually working out out in California and found out as it was going across the TV screen on ESPN. So, it was one of those things that was just like kind of crazy and kind of a whirlwind. And then the next couple of days, obviously, getting calls from some Broncos people, some new Seahawks coaches and staff and some players and stuff. Obviously I had to fly out to Seattle that next day for all the physicals and stuff so the trade could be processed.”

Fant added finding out the news that way was a “learning experience” and he wasn’t thrilled by the development. The former Broncos first-round pick was asked by Zach if he should have been told in a different way.

“I thought so. Honestly, like from my perspective, I’m not going to say I’ve been the perfect prospect drafted in Denver, but I felt like I’ve done some some pretty good things in Denver and had some really good moments. But you know, it’s a part of the business and I think that’s kind of what I learned the most from this whole experience. I kind of like, you know, bled blue and orange a little bit and then when it kind of comes down to it, which is totally understandable, they had a chance at Russell Wilson. But it’s kind of anybody’s expendable so it just was one of those things.”

Stokley chimed in and told Fant that he didn’t think the Broncos were using him properly with enough explosive plays down the football field. Fant agreed with the sentiment.

“Yeah, I mean, I agree, man. I feel like when I came into the league, that’s what I was drafted to do, right? Get down the field, make those explosive plays, and kind of be that pass catching tight end. And over my time in Denver, I felt like that narrative kind of got muddled down a little bit. It was more of a focus of me catching flat balls or whatever it may be, and then trying to be a shifty guy and elusive guy and try to break as many tackles possible to get my yards. I view myself as a downfield threat, getting open space, then I can make things happen. It was a little frustrating being used in the short field.”

Fant went on to tell Stokley and Zach that former head coach Vic Fangio is an “acquired taste” and also wished his old teammates Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick, Jerry Jeudy and Albert Okwuegbunam all the best with Wilson.

The full interview is worth your time and gets rolling at the 19:40 mark. You can check it out here.
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