AFC Notes: Broncos, Browns, Jaguars, Jets

Broncos

• Based on interviews from Wednesday, Mike Klis would be surprised if Brock Osweiler isn’t the Broncos’ starting quarterback in Week 16.
• According to Klis, Broncos HC Vance Joseph and QB Paxton Lynch both did not sound confident Lynch is ready for a full workload after missing three weeks of practice with an injury.
• Osweiler and Lynch did, however, split reps at practice on Wednesday. (Mike Klis)

Browns

Browns HC Hue Jackson made it clear that they aren’t committed to rookie DeShone Kizer being their quarterback of the future. However, Jackson expects to see improvement from Kizer and their other quarterbacks moving forward.

“The quarterbacks on our football team, in general, just all of them, they all understand that we’re always trying to better our position,” Jackson said Wednesday, via Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “We did not draft a quarterback in the first round and say, ‘This is our quarterback of the future.’ We took a quarterback. We’re trying to grow him.

“We have a very young quarterback room. We need to continue to improve that room as much as we can as we move forward for it to be the best it can be. I understand when you take a guy in the second round, everybody suspects that that’s the guy. We wish it is. I mean you hope it is. But if it isn’t, that’s OK, too. And hopefully guy will continue to grow and get better, but you also have to continue to get better at the position.”

Jaguars

• Jaguars RB Leonard Fournette returned to practice on Wednesday after missing Week 15’s game with a quad bruise.
• Ian Rapoport reports that the Jaguars expect Fournette to suit up this weekend.
• According to Rapoport, Jacksonville believes it will end up being a good thing that Fournette sat out a week, as it was once less week of wear and tear for him.

Jets

Jets HC Todd Bowles said Wednesday DL Muhammad Wilkerson has “served his sentence” for missing another team meeting last week. Bowles added: “He made a mistake. We’ve moved on.” (Manish Mehta)

Bowles mentioned that Wilkerson did practice today, but he was noncommittal about his availability for the Week 16’s game Sunday against the Chargers, saying: “We have not reached a decision.” (Manish Mehta)

• Wilkerson later told reporters that he addressed the team after he left at home for their Week 15 game and he said he told his teammates that he “let the team down.” (Rich Cimini)
• Wilkerson didn’t say if he wants to be back with the Jets next year.
• When asked if he believes he’s earned the $37 million he’s made over the last two years, Wilkerson responded: “Every penny.” (Rich Cimini)