AFC Notes: Browns, Chargers, Steelers

Browns

• The Browns announced this past week that veteran OL Donald Stephenson, who is suspended for the first two games of the 2018 season, has retired from the NFL.
• Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com mentions that Browns HC Hue Jackson had indicated that they were likely to fine Stephenson for skipping all of voluntary OTAs and mandatory minicamp.
• Stephenson could have been fined up to $84,435 for missing offseason workouts and he was going to be docked two game checks for his suspension, which would have cost him $155,709.

Chargers

Chargers CB Jason Verrett says he’s “hungry” after missing a lot of time the past few years due to injury.

“I think it’s going to be a little bit more juice, just dealing with the fact that I lost two seasons,” Verrett said, via Chargers.com. “I’m hungry. I’m going to grind. I’m going to grind, grind, grind. They’re going to see the Pro Bowl player they saw in 2015.”

Verrett explained that he knew from a mental standpoint he wasn’t ready for the start of last year.

“Going into last season, in training camp, it was tough for me,” Verrett said. “I was hoping for a breakthrough. I was hoping for the scar tissue to break up. Unfortunately, it didn’t. Coming in Week 1, I knew mentally I wasn’t ready. I knew physically I wasn’t ready. I just was trying to go out there with the competitive mindset that I have.

“I felt the surgery was needed. It was tough having to get another surgery and dealing with all of that, but it was needed.”

Steelers

• Joe Rutter of the Tribune-Review writes that Landry Jones will face competition this summer from Mason Rudolph and Joshua Dobbs for the backup job behind Ben Roethlisberger.
• Rutters says that the Steelers like Jones as a “short-term replacement” for Roethlisberger if needed.
• According to Rutter, there’s at least a chance that Rudolph could beat Jones out for the backup job since the third-round rookie has impressed coaches during offseason practices.
• As for Dobbs, Rutter notes that he has practice squad eligibility and could be added to the unit, assuming he doesn’t catch on with another team.