AFC Notes: Bills, Broncos, Chiefs

Bills

Regarding Bills WR Stefon Diggs rushing to leave before speaking with media following their Divisional Round loss, GM Brandon Beane said that he prefers having competitive players like Diggs in their locker room. 

“Stef’s a competitor. I’d rather have guys like that,” Beane said, via Nick Veronica of WIVB. “I’ve been around it. Steve Smith was a lot like that (in Carolina). I’d rather have guys I gotta cool off. He wants to win. I can live with that.”

Beane doesn’t consider Diggs to be a player just cashing in paychecks. 

“I’ve been around people that I’ve questioned, ‘Are they just here for the Monday paycheck?’” Beane said. “Stefon Diggs has been paid very handsomely; he could say ‘Man, I’m good, I’m set, I could take my private jets, I could do whatever I want.’ He wants to win. So, he wears his emotions on his sleeve. But that’s what makes him really, really good. That’s who Stef was coming out (of college).

Broncos

• Mark Maske of the Washington Post reports there was “an issue” with former Saints HC Sean Payton‘s interview with the Broncos and he’s concerned over a potential “power struggle”  between the coach and a member of Denver’s ownership group. 
• According to Denver 7’s Troy Renck, the Broncos front office is taking a “longer look” at 49ers DC DeMeco Ryans, who can’t be interviewed until after Sunday’s NFC Championship game. 
• Wayne State University announced that they have hired Broncos RB coach Tyrone Wheatley as their next head coach. 

Chiefs

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes reaffirmed that he’ll be playing this weekend against the Bengals.

“AFC championship week,” Mahomes said, via ESPN. “Ready to go.”

Mahomes added that his ankle injury has progressed since exiting the game since the Jaguars.

“It’s doing good,” he said. “I’ve done a few days of treatment, a few days of rehab. Excited to get on the practice field and kind of test it out and see where I’m at. But it’s feeling good so far. I felt better than I thought I was going to be after the game. Moving on it during the game definitely hurt. But after the game, I was able to rest it and kind of ice it up and do different stuff like that. I felt in a little bit better position, and obviously the next morning felt a little bit better, and then I’ve continued to get better throughout the week, so we’ll see how I feel today at practice.”

Mahomes anticipates having to work around the injury Sunday against the Bengals.

“I’ll have to find ways to be able to push off and be able to still make the throws the right way,” he said. “I’ll push it a little bit today and then the next day and then the next day again and see what I can do then. Not reaggravate the injury, obviously, but push it to see what I’ll be able to do on Sunday.”

• Mahomes said his high-ankle sprain felt better than expected in Wednesday’s practice: “I thought I had a good day yesterday. Overall, probably better than I expected.” (Nate Taylor)