AFC Notes: Travis Kelce, Mike McDaniel, Bo Nix, Broncos, Chargers, Chiefs

The Broncos

Broncos HC Sean Payton talked about the QB’s pre-existing ankle condition Bo Nixwhich doctors say makes his broken ankle inevitable.

“What was found was the predicted situation – they always found less when they came in,” Payton said, via ESPN. “It wasn’t a matter of if, it was a matter of when. If you look at the game and try to evaluate it – the surgeon said this will happen soon. Now, he’s going through rehab, proper orthotics, all those things.”

“So listen, he’s going to work his tail off and get ready and get back to being healthy,” Payton continued. “I think for a guy who runs the ball, I think he’s done a great job defensively, not all the time, but for the most part, he’s done a great job skating and understanding the play the other day. You’ve got to know him. He’s rocking from the start. He might have just gotten his scooters. He’s never been out there, like he’s been working. pro.

New Chargers OC Mike McDaniel talked extensively about his QB plans Justin Herbertnoting that he wants to take some of the responsibilities off their star quarterback.

“I think not relying too much on Justin’s ability to do more and more I think is important to maximize those types of opportunities,” McDaniel said, via Pro Football Talk. “That’s going to be one of the first things we’re going to try to do is take a little bit off his plate so he can be comfortable when his size is needed.”

“There are so many amazing plays that Justin has done,” McDaniel added. “He’s got a very strong skill set, and sometimes as a coach you can rely on that a lot. There are creative ways to finish that maybe all three quarterbacks on your roster can do. Easy completions, not a lot of layups — It can pay off in the long run for a player to need to make a lot of big plays so you can take away points from him and try to get him some points and try to win football games. It’s a low-cost, high-reward offense that he can do but maybe a less talented player can do as well.”

The chief executive officer of the Chiefs Clark Hunt told reporters that he does not doubt TE Travis Kelce he can still play at a high level and wants him back in 2026.

“Well, as an organization, we hope you will come back,” Hunt said, via Pro Football Talk. “He had another great year, maybe not where he was four or five years ago, but he still had over 800 yards, and he was really one of the leaders on the offensive side of the football for us. So there’s no doubt in my mind that he can still play. We’re trying to be respectful and give him the time he needs to make a decision. He’s married and he wants to be busy with his marriage, so there’s no doubt he can still play. Give him the time he needs to make a decision but we certainly hope he comes back.”