AFC Notes: Frank Clark, Jimmy Garoppolo, Broncos, Chargers, Raiders

Broncos

New Broncos pass rusher Frank Clark says that Denver is ready to turn things around this coming season and mentioned that he appreciated his time with the Chiefs.

“You can say what you want about their record, but if you know football, if you understand it, that’s the type of team that can turn it around in a heartbeat,” Clark said on the Undefined with Josina Anderson. “I’ve seen it and I know it. They just need to add a few pieces to get the job done, and I feel like they’re doing the right thing adding me.”

“The first coach I had the chance to play with was Pete Carroll, Hall of Fame coach,” Clark added. “Second was Andy Reid, a Hall of Fame coach. Third, Sean Payton, I’m sure he’ll be a Hall of Fame coach. So, at the end of the day, it all works in my favor when I look at the coach. The next part is building a winning tradition. Building a foundation that we can stand on as a team where we can get things done. I feel like that’s the next step, and I’m excited. I enjoyed my time in K.C., and I enjoyed the relationship, as I said, that I built with everybody. There are no hard feelings toward nobody in that building. But it was just time to move on. Time for new beginnings.”

• Clark can earn up to $2 million in incentives on his deal, including $500,000 if he plays 60 percent of the snaps and the team wins six games, or if he has six sacks. He also earns $500,000 each for hitting eight, 10, and 12 sacks in 2023. (Albert Breer)

Chargers

Per the Athletic’s Daniel Popper, Chargers CB Ja’Sir Taylor has been working as the starting nickel during OTAs as various other players work back from injuries, and he’s been standing out. Taylor flashed as a rookie as well, although he had some other rough moments, so it’ll be interesting to see if he can continue his momentum into camp. 

“He’s mature past his age,” Chargers DC Derrick Ansley said. “He’s a very quiet kid, very observant. He understands the big picture. He’s working hard, just like how the other Stars are working hard. That is going to be an interesting battle once we get to camp.”

Raiders

Injury waivers aren’t necessarily uncommon in the NFL, but former GM Randy Mueller said in his experience, which included nine years as GM of the Seahawks, Saints and Dolphins, it was unusual. Especially when it comes to a notable signing like the three-year, $72.5 million deal the Raiders gave QB Jimmy Garoppolo.

“I think it’s really rare,” Mueller said via the Athletic’s Vic Tafur. “They just didn’t happen very often — I can (count them) on one hand of the 1,000 contracts that I did — to have outs to this extent. Sometimes, when you would have an injury waiver on a particular body part, it just meant that we couldn’t release him if he was hurt any other way, but if that body part got hurt, we could release him.”

Mueller added the waiver shows both the team and player were put in a tough position and tried to find the best way forward. 

“[Garoppolo] must not have had any other options if he accepted that,” Mueller said. “And the Raiders’ alternative [backup QB Brian Hoyer] is 37 years old and has thrown 40 passes in three years.”

The injury waiver allows the Raiders to void the deal and the guaranteed money they owe Garoppolo if he can’t pass a physical or his foot turns into more of an issue. But Mueller would expect the two sides to continue trying to find ways to make things work given their relative lack of alternatives. 

“You’re going to have a lot of leniency toward Jimmy G because you have all your eggs in that basket,” Mueller said. “Jimmy is going to be their quarterback, and they’re not going to be in a hurry to run him off if he’s not ready Aug. 1 or whenever it is.”