AFC Notes: Chargers, Chiefs, Raiders, Josh Jacobs

Chargers

• Tom Pelissero reports that the Chargers are hiring former Browns DBs coach Jeff Howard as their next inside linebackers coach. 
• Pellisero also reports that Los Angeles interviewed Raiders offensive assistant Fred Walker for their quarterbacks’ coach job. 

Chiefs

Chiefs GM Brett Veach said the team plans to contend every year with them having QB Patrick Mahomes.

“When you have Pat Mahomes, we’re wired to go after it every year,” Veach said, via ESPN.

One of the major decisions Veach had to make this past offseason was to divert resources to improving their secondary, or extending WR Tyreek Hill. Veach admitted that the team didn’t like what they saw when they looked at their potential salary cap situation if they did in fact decide to extend Hill.

“Everyone knew what the next two or three years would look like and how many players we’d have to potentially cut and how difficult things would be,” Veach said. “We would have had a lot of expensive players. It’s hard to be successful in this league year after year. It’s hard to win games year after year. There are going to be moments where we have to step out there and do something uncomfortable. No one wanted to lose Tyreek. He’s a great player. But if you’re going to do something, trust the process and trust how you do things and don’t be afraid to commit to change a year sooner when you have more ability to potentially make those changes work better.”

Mahomes admitted that he wasn’t thrilled to lose Hill, but the team reassured him that the route they planned to take was best for the long-term sustainability of what they’re trying to build.

“I wanted to keep him, for sure,” Mahomes said. “They had a plan for it, though. They told me the plan and we were going to get these draft picks. We were going to go out there and bring in some free agent receivers, and I think they executed on that. We know that to keep having success in this league we have to keep evolving, keep getting better. I always want to be successful this year, but at the same time, I’m here for the long haul. If we’re going to have a long time here, I want to have a chance to win Super Bowls every single year.”

Chiefs TE Travis Kelce also admitted that he had doubts about how the team’s offense would operate without Hill.

“Yes, that was a question,” Kelce said. “But once I saw how hard guys were working, paying attention to details, how Pat keeps progressing as a quarterback…Right now, we’re in a good routine that we just keep getting better. You could feel that from the day we started from May until now.”

Raiders

Raiders impending free agent RB Josh Jacobs said he is eager to re-sign with the team this offseason and recently bought a home in Las Vegas. 

“I mean for me, I’ve got the Raiders seal tatted on me. It’s always something that I wanted to be a part of,” Jacobs said, via NFL.com. “I want to give back to win and change the culture to get the winning mentality and things like that, I’m fully invested in that. I mean I just bought a house in Vegas, it’s definitely a place that I want to be.”

Jacobs said he spoke to Derek Carr at the Pro Bowl and jokingly discussed potentially following each other to a new team. In the end, the running back intends on keeping his options open. 

“Me and (Carr) sat down and were just like ‘Man, it’s a possibility that it could happen,'” Jacobs said. “So it’s definitely something that I’m keeping my options open with, but he’s a great dude, wherever he ends up he’s definitely going to contribute to that team in a positive way, and I’m happy for him.”

We have him included in our Top 100 – 2023 NFL Free Agents list.