AFC Notes: Broncos, Chargers, Chiefs

Broncos

Broncos HC Sean Payton talked up the signing of QB Jarrett Stidham, calling it a quietly important signing for the franchise. Stidham signed a two-year $10 million deal to be the backup to starting QB Russell Wilson, for now. 

“He’s young but someone we had a good grade on coming out,” Stidham said via KUSA’s Mike Klis. “We like the player. I think he played well in the two starts he had this year. If you studied closely the San Francisco game, he was smart at the line of scrimmage. There were a couple of No. 2s I either worked or felt comfortable with. In this case, it’s a No. 2 where his arrow is moving in a direction where we feel he can become an NFL starter in our league. … Quietly that was an important sign for us.”

Chargers

• Per the Athletic’s Daniel Popper, Chargers GM Tom Telesco contradicted HC Brandon Staley about how they’d deploy their guards, with Telesco indicating they will move RG Zion Johnson to the left side and put OL Jamaree Salyer at right guard: “Get our best five at the spots we think they’re best at.”
• Staley had previously said Salyer would play left guard after playing left tackle as a rookie. Both played on the left side in college with Johnson converting to the right as a rookie and playing well. Telesco added: “It doesn’t really matter in the end. They can play either side, but it’s what we’re going to go with right now.”
• The Chargers are still letting RB Austin Ekeler explore his market with other teams, with Telesco saying there’s no timeline for something to get done right now: “We’ll probably get to a point where there will be.”
• Telesco mentioned he’s operating as if CB J.C. Jackson will be back for the Chargers in 2023 after tearing his patellar tendon last season. 
• The Chargers plan to have a kicking competition between veteran Dustin Hopkins and the younger Cameron Dicker during training camp: “If you want to win a championship, you got to have a championship kicker. We have two really good kickers. I’ve been here where the situation was not as stable. So having two guys that we really, really like is a good problem to have, and we’ll kind of see how it plays out from there.”
• The Chargers are scheduled to host Louisville OT Trevor Reid for a private workout on Monday, April 3, per Aaron Wilson.
• Ryan Fowler reports that Western Kentucky DL Brodric Martin has top-30 visits scheduled with the Chargers, Chiefs, Colts, and Eagles. 

Chiefs

Chiefs HC Andy Reid said QB Patrick Mahomes didn’t need to have any procedures done on his injured ankle and he should be healthy soon.