AFC Notes: Trent McDuffie, Chiefs, Jets, Raiders

Chiefs

Chiefs CB Trent McDuffie said that he feels he still has more room to grow even after being named an All-Pro last season.

“Last year, [I was] All-Pro, but I felt like I still was learning so much,” McDuffie said, via Chiefs Wire. “Last year was really my first time at the nickel position, Then this year [with] L.J. [L’Jarius Sneed] leaving moving to the outside, [it is] a whole different ballgame. On the outside, on the island, you got to be a technician and come into this camp knowing that I might have to do some more of that. Each and every day, I’ve been just working little by little on technique and just trying to perfect myself out there. I’m still growing and learning, and I feel like that’s one thing that wakes me up every day.”

McDuffie is embracing the challenge of travelling with the opposing team’s top receiver.

“I told Spags [Steve Spagnuolo] wherever you need me like I always said, that’s where you can put me,” McDuffie said. “Going against the best of the best, that’s why we play this game to go against the best of the best, so be able to compete no matter who it’s against. I’m ready to do that.”

Jets

Jets K Greg Zuerlein has been working with ST coordinator Brant Boyer on kickoff strategies going into 2024. The veteran kicker said he’s setting a lot of goals for himself and is also experimenting with different things. 

“You always want to be as good as possible and set goals for yourself, sometimes on a daily basis, sometimes on a weekly basis, sometimes on a monthly basis or for the whole season,” Zuerlein said, via John Pullano of the team’s site. “But this spring there has been a lot of experimenting going on as well. We are working hard and just want to hit the ground running come fall camp so we’re ready to go.”

Zuerlein commented on his connection with place-holder P Thomas Morstead and LS Thomas Hennessy.

“Both Hennessy and Morstead are great, great football players, better dudes,” Zuerlein said. “They’re fun to be around. And so, it’s a joy to come into work each day. And I think that shows on the football field. Hopefully, we can keep that same success. At a high level go into this upcoming year.”

Zuerlein called the NFL’s new kickoff rules a “work in progress” for them after testing some things during spring camp. 

“To be completely honest with you, it is all a work in progress,” Zuerlein said. “We did some practicing this spring and it didn’t go as you would expect, so it’s going to be a work in progress this summer figuring out what kicks work and taking them into the preseason games and seeing if you kick it like this, what’s the result. It will be a lot of trial and error from there and is going to be very interesting preseason, so stay tuned.”

Raiders

The Raiders cut WR Hunter Renfrow this offseason and signed WR Michael Gallup, who retired shortly after. Las Vegas WR Tre Tucker has faith he’ll win the job in the slot heading into his second season. 

“It’s always going to be a competition,” Tucker said, via Levi Damien of the Raiders Wire. “It’s my job to lose, you know. I’m going to take that approach, and whoever we bring in, and whoever we get, I’m just going to keep my head down and keep working.”