AFC West Notes: Broncos, Khalil Mack, Raiders

Broncos

Broncos WR Demaryius Thomas tells James Palmer of NFL Media that injuries have prevented him from playing his best football the past few years.

“For, like, the past two years, for real, it’s been my neck and my hip,” Thomas said. “It was just times I couldn’t compete my best. And you know, sometimes, I remember one game we were playing the Patriots, and [Logan Ryan] called it out. He said, ‘You’re not yourself.’ And I was like, ‘Man, I’m doing whatever I can to try to get attention.‘”

Thomas added that he has no plans to call it a career any time soon.

“Now I’m thinking, 15 or 16 (years),” Thomas said. “Like, for real, I’m going to be like Larry Fitzgerald. Maybe even more. It just depends, you know? I mean, s—, tomorrow I could finish my career off of one crazy injury. But yeah, my mindset has changed.”

Khalil Mack

Regarding Raiders DE Khalil Mack, who is holding out for a new contract, DC Paul Guenther said he intends to move Mack around on the line.

“When he gets here, he’s going to find out that he’ll have a lot of new matchups,” Guenther said, via Bair. “We have an ability to move him around. We have guys like Bruce Irvin and Arden Key, who can move around as rushers, too. They won’t always know where Khalil is at when we play on Sundays.”

• Mike Florio mentions that by skipping preseason games, Mack is subject to fines of $814,000 for each game missed, which would come out to $3.2 million of his $13.846 million salary.

Raiders

Raiders HC Jon Gruden said LT Donald Penn is “getting close” to being fully recovered from foot surgery and is “pleased” with his progress.

“He’s getting close. Our trainer, is pleased with the progress he’s made. Hopefully that time is soon,” said Gruden, via Scott Bair of NBC Bay Area.

• Gruden said that S Obi Melifonwu missed his second straight practice due to a “flair-up” in his lower body and the team is “looking into” his injury: “[He] had a flair-up. Lower body injury of some kind. We’re still looking into that.” (Michael Gehlken)