AFC Notes: Broncos, Chargers, Chiefs

Broncos

• Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer notes that because the Broncos ownership situation is still in flux, there aren’t major changes expected in the front office or coaching staff in 2021. 
• Per KOA Colorado’s Brandon Krystal, Broncos HC Vic Fangio says DT Shelby Harris is still in the COVID-19 protocol and has a few more days of conditioning tests to pass before he can come off. 

Chiefs

Throughout his two decades with New England, Tom Brady put together a resume that’s hard to argue against as the greatest quarterback of all time. But in just two years as a starter, Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes has put himself on a pace to challenge Brady someday, winning an MVP in 2018 and a Super Bowl in 2019. Mahomes will face Brady for the fourth time in his career when Kansas City takes on the Buccaneers this week but Mahomes says it’s too early to put his name in the same sentence as Brady’s. 

“I don’t know if I’m on his level yet,” Mahomes said via the Athletic’s Nate Taylor. “He’s someone that’s a global star. For me, I just try to be myself and put in the work and try to win games. All that other stuff kind of comes with it. I just try to be a normal guy and live it up with my teammates and have fun doing it.”

• According to Tyler Dunne, Bills owner Terry Pegula loved Mahomes going into the 2017 draft and was pushing his front office and HC Sean McDermott to take him at No. 10 overall. 
• However, McDermott thought taking a quarterback that high would signal the Bills weren’t ready to compete and Buffalo traded down with the Chiefs, hoping Mahomes would fall. He did not. 

Chargers

• Per ESPN’s Shelley Smith, Chargers RB Austin Ekeler said his hamstring injury earlier this season, when he tore his hamstring tendon from the bone, was “definitely the most pain I’ve ever felt.”
• Avoiding re-injury is one of Ekeler’s top priorities: “Even the trainers said you don’t want to come back from this early because you’ll re-injure it and have to go back. So I’m checking all the boxes.”
• According to NFL Media’s Michael Silver, the Chargers are moving ST coordinator George Stewart to offensive analyst and replacing him with assistant ST coach Keith Burns.
• However, Chargers HC Anthony Lynn remained reluctant to criticize Stewart directly, who he still views as a valued member of his staff: “It’s never one person’s fault. As coaches, this is what we sign up for. We sign up to work with these young men. If they don’t execute the way we need them to execute, then we lose our jobs. That’s just the way it is.” (Jeff Miller)