AFC Notes: Colts, Texans, Titans

Colts

• The Athletic’s Zak Keefer notes Colts QBs Matt Ryan and Nick Foles are unlikely to be back next season. Ryan can be released to save $17.2 million, which is almost a certainty. The only question is if he retires which could help the Colts spread the dead money hit out a little more. 
• Keefer adds Foles could retire, as he only signed with the Colts to reunite with former HC Frank Reich and didn’t expect to play this season. 
• Indianapolis should bring QB Sam Ehlinger back for at least camp, per Keefer, as he’s still on his rookie deal. 

Texans

Texans HC Lovie Smith isn’t concerned about their record and is only focused on defeating their next opponent.

“Everything is short-term. We have a short-term opponent, and we’re going to do everything we can to beat that opponent. Kind of simple as that,” Smith said, via DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN. “It’s what players do. One play at a time. It’s one game at a time, and you do the best you can do in that game. And that’s what we do here. That answers any other questions about any other direction you wanna go. It’s kind of simple as that. I think things work out the way they should in the end.”

Smith reiterated that he doesn’t care about wins potentially impacting their draft position and wants to play well against divisional opponents in the Jaguars and Colts over their final two games.  

“If you compete, you compete to win, right? You just kind of start with that,” Smith said. “Then, for our program, I’ve talked about it for a period of time, our last games are in the division. We want to eventually take over the division.”

• Texans RT Tytus Howard said he has cleared the league’s concussion protocol and is ready to play: “I feel fine and I’m ready to go.” (Aaron Wilson)

Titans

Titans HC Mike Vrabel said that they will continue to evaluate the quarterback position to determine whether to start Josh Dobbs or Malik Willis. 

“We will continue to digest this over the weekend and make a decision,” Vrabel said, via ProFootballTalk. “Malik has worked hard, but then we just have to see where we are at with the quarterback position here going down to the last week of the season.”

Vrabel thinks that Dobbs did some “good things” in Thursday’s loss to the Cowboys.

“It was a great opportunity to evaluate Josh. We’ll make a decision going forward. He did some good things. We certainly would like to have a couple throws back. We will kind of see where things are here in a couple of days,” Vrabel said.