AFC Notes: Broncos, Chiefs, Raiders, Josh McDaniels

Broncos

• According to Pro Football Talk, Broncos LB Aaron Patrick is suing the NFL, ESPN, the Rams, and the Chargers after he suffered a torn ACL in October when attempting to avoid a collision with someone on the sidelines.
• Patrick is suing for negligence due to the placement of mats that were covering cords and cables, leading to the feed for the league’s replay monitor. Patrick alleges his foot rolled on one of the mats as he tried not to collide with an NFL TV liaison.
• Patrick lost half of his salary after his compensation was limited due to being placed on injured reserve. He also lost an opportunity to earn player performance bonuses and non-covered medical expenses.
• Lawyers representing Patrick are challenging the CBA, claiming that it does not contain a valid and binding arbitration agreement and that the CBA provides no real basis for recovery from injuries suffered via non-football contact. Patrick also called the CBA “unconscionable due to the disparity between the NFL and the players.”

Chiefs

• ESPN’s Adam Teicher writes the Chiefs won’t be able to re-sign both WR JuJu Smith-Schuster and WR Mecole Hardman, and there’s a chance they might not bring back either in 2023. 

Raiders

• The Athletic’s Tashan Reed writes the Raiders will likely need to make major changes this offseason due to their 2-7 start, but HC Josh McDaniels and GM Dave Ziegler should be safe. 
• That means the roster will take the brunt of the blow and Reed says that could mean shopping QB Derek Carr to another team for a package of draft picks McDaniels and Ziegler can use to remake the roster how they want it. He points out Carr has an out in his contract and the Raiders can draft his replacement if they get a high pick. 
• Reed adds TE Darren Waller could also be traded and Las Vegas might not bring back RB Josh Jacobs. 
• Raiders owner Mark Davis has not lost confidence in McDaniels and gave him a public vote of confidence: “People in today’s world want instant gratification. The guy’s coached nine games. We’re 2-7, not the results we’re looking for, but at the same time, we’ve lost six games where we’ve had the ball with a chance to win at the end.” (Paul Gutierrez)
• Davis stressed having patience with the state of the team: “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” (Gutierrez)