AFC Notes: Broncos, Chargers, Patriots

Broncos

• Per Ryan O’Halloran of the Denver Post, Broncos HC Vic Fangio said TE Jake Butt could miss at least a month following his knee scope: “Had a little something in there that was nagging and he’ll be out for a while. Not the whole season or anything like that, but I would see he misses at least a month, not positive.”
• Broncos LB Todd Davis, who’s been out since his calf injury on the first day of training camp, says he’ll be ready to play Week 1. (James Palmer)

Chargers

There’s been little news in recent weeks on the contract situation between the Chargers and RB Melvin Gordon. Both sides seem fully entrenched in their positions, with Gordon wanting a salary of $13 million per year that’s commensurate with the top players at his position, and the team unwilling to budge from its maximum offer of $10 million per year. 

“I’m disappointed it has lasted this long. I pride myself in having solutions to problems, and I haven’t solved this one yet,” Chargers GM Tom Telesco said, via ESPN’s Eric Williams. “We know what he means to our team, and even bigger than that what he means to our organization. But the other side is we have a big game coming up this week with the Colts, and I’m confident in the players that we have on the field right now will play well.”

Patriots

Patriots WR Demaryius Thomas played for the first time since tearing his Achilles last year, and the veteran turned in a vintage performance even if it was against backups in a fourth preseason game. Thomas caught seven passes for 87 yards and two touchdowns and said he feels better now than he did before the injury. 

“I actually feel a lot better now,” Thomas said via the Providence Journal’s Mark Daniels. “Before the injury, I was a little smaller. But I’m a little heavier, a little stronger. The program we’ve been doing here has helped out a lot, so I feel great.”

• Per Ian Rapoport, Patriots WR Julian Edelman avoided re-injuring his thumb after landing on it during Thursday’s preseason game. Edelman missed most of camp and preseason with a broken thumb suffered this summer.