AFC Notes: Broncos, Chiefs, Raiders

Broncos

Broncos WR Courtland Sutton said he’s not going to limit himself at the start of the season and wants to show what he can “bring to the table” for their offense after recovering from a torn ACL. 

“I’m not thinking about coming out of the gates slow,” Sutton said, via James Palmer of NFL.com. “It’s not about proving anything to anybody else. It’s more so just showing myself what I know I can bring to the table and just elevating that. Building on the success I had two years ago and not giving any concern for, Will he ever be the same Courtland Sutton? Well, I’m going to be the same Courtland Sutton … plus some. That’s what my mindset has been and that’s what my mindset was during my rehab. Not just to get to where I was at, but to ascend past that. And be an even better receiver than I was.”

Sutton added that he took his recovery step-by-step and felt assured that he can still “compete at a very, very high level” after their preseason game against the Vikings. 

“Those are all check marks,” Sutton said. “And then practice. My first rep of 7-on-7, that’s a checked box. My first rep of team, that’s a checked box. You don’t think about it again. We go to Minnesota and go against other DBs. Bet. I know I can still compete at a very, very high level. Check. It’s continuing to get these boxes checked that you can do this and this and this.”

Sutton feels he’s “getting close” to resuming full football activities and wants to take more live reps. 

“I feel like I’m getting close,” Sutton said. “I’m not really getting a whole bunch of those types of reps in practice. I’m able to feel out how my body feels doing other things. I feel like I’m close. I think being able to do that … being in that first game rep, going up and just making that play and knowing that bullets are flying and that it’s all live and it’s the real deal. Once that first game rep happens, I’m going to be good.”

Chiefs

Chiefs’ HC Andy Reid spoke to the media about the ankle injury sustained by starting RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire.

“Clyde hurt his right ankle early,” Reid said, via Pro Football Talk. “He’s got a slight sprain on the inside of his ankle. They’re gonna check it tomorrow. . . . It doesn’t look like a high-ankle sprain so that’s always a good thing, but they’ll double-check it.”

• Ian Rapoport says that Edwards-Helaire should be available for the start of the season, yet adds that the Chiefs have enough depth to get by until he returns.

Raiders

Raiders’ QB Derek Carr is hoping that backup QB Marcus Mariota sees a limited amount of action during the preseason, as he doesn’t want to see him traded to another team despite Mariota having a no-trade clause in his contract.

“I hope he doesn’t play too much because then someone is going to want to try and come get him,” Carr said, via Vic Tafur of TheAthletic.com. “We enjoy having him around. Honestly, out of all the quarterbacks I’ve been around, I could hang around with him all day long. So, hopefully, when he gets in there, he balls out.”