Around the AFC West: The QB shuffle picks up some steam

The Broncos have sent their top brass, including John Elway and Matt Russell, to the 2020 Reese’s Senior Bowl this week. The rest of the NFL is in Mobile, Ala., as well, to take a closer look at some of the nation’s best senior prospects.

The teams in the Broncos division are all trying to keep up with the Chiefs. After falling short last year, Kansas City won the AFC championship and is playing in Super Bowl LIV next weekend. While scouting incoming talent for the college draft, every team is also putting together a plan for free agency – for both their own free agents and players they would like to add from other teams.

Let’s take a spin around the AFC West to see what the competition is up to.

***

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs finally made it to the Super Bowl. They won the Lamar Hunt Trophy for the first time in the team’s history (it was not yet named after the former Chiefs owner the last time they went to the Super Bowl 50 years ago) and will represent the conference in Miami. The Chiefs are practicing this week as they prepare to take on the 49ers.

During this week of practice, several key players for the Chiefs are banged up. Tight end Travis Kelce is not practicing this week due to a nagging knee injury. The Chiefs are wisely being cautious with their superstar tight end as they have two weeks to prepare for this game. Kelce was limited last week before the AFC Championship Game, but he did end up playing in that contest. Even though he’s not quite himself, there is no way he’s going to miss the biggest game of his career. Expect him to be at least limited if not a full participant by the end of next week.

***

Las Vegas Raiders

Raiders quarterback Derek Carr is tiring of the quarterback rumors surrounding the team – the latest resulting from a photo taken of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, a pending free agent, and Raiders owner Mark Davis talking at recent UFC fight in Las Vegas.

“C’mon man, when’s it going to end?” Carr asked.

Earlier this week, the Raiders had a ceremony officially adopting the name “Las Vegas Raiders” and Carr was a part of that event. Carr is happy to be a Raider and he is signed through the 2022 season.

In 2020, Carr has a cap hit of $21.5 million, but there is only $5 million remaining in dead money on his contract. There has been plenty of buzz about Raiders head coach Jon Gruden wanting to move on from Carr, and moving to a player like Brady would certainly be splashy for the team as they move into their new home and new stadium.

We’ll see if they actually make a move to add Brady or if they keep Carr as their starter and all this talk was for naught.

***

Los Angeles Chargers

Impending free agent quarterback Philip Rivers has moved his family from San Diego to Florida. Rivers had stayed in San Diego even though the team moved to Los Angeles a couple of years ago. His wife and their nine children have now relocated closer to where the couple grew up in Alabama.

This is big news because Rivers has always spoken about how important it was for him to be around his kids and close to his family. Speculation has gone wild about where Rivers will be playing for the 2020 season, but it seems like his playing days for the Chargers are done. Rivers is set to be a free agent when the new league year begins on March 18.

Follow @CecilLammey