AFC Notes: Marquise Brown, Justin Herbert, Chargers, Chiefs, Raiders

Chargers

Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh said QB Justin Herbert, who is still recovering from plantar fascia, has put in extra work to his development in their system and has a “tremendous grasp” of their offense. 

“Not all work is being done on the practice field,” Harbaugh said, via Jarrett Bell of USA Today. “That’s really a small part of the day. Significant. Very significant. But there’s much being done in terms of mental reps, film work, building a rapport. Justin’s really grown to a place in his career where he’s not just leading the offense. It’s team-wide. He’s been incredible at it the entire time. I can go back to mid-April. He’s got a tremendous grasp on the offense.”

Harbaugh isn’t trying to think of possible setbacks with Herbert and wants him to continue putting himself in a good position going into Week 1. 

“Even with the preference that he was able to practice, he’s not,” Harbaugh said. “So, let’s not think about that. Let’s think about all the things we can do. And he’s into anything and everything to get himself ready for that opening day.”

Harbaugh is aware of the difficulty of the AFC West and is only focused on improving.  

“I have a keen awareness of the division we’re playing in and who we’re playing against,” said Harbaugh. “The expectation is to be better today than we were yesterday, and to be better today than we were today.”

Chiefs

The Chiefs are currently expecting WR Marquise Brown to return from his injury early in the regular season, yet HC Andy Reid and OC Matt Nagy would not commit to him playing in the season opener. 

“We’ve got to keep rolling and we’ve got the guys to do it. We can just move them around as different pieces to the puzzle and then they’ve got to make plays,” Nagy told Adam Teicher of ESPN. “The one thing you see from all three of those guys is they have phenomenal tracking ability.”

“We’ll see. The positive is that he’s going to be back,” Reid said of Brown playing in the opener. “We’ve also got other guys that can step in and play. We will be OK there. It’s just we’re pulling for him to get back, obviously.”

Until Brown makes his return, Chiefs rookie WR Xavier Worthy will be asked to make some big plays for the team.

“In college, I kind of had the freedom to get the ball anywhere in the field,” Worthy noted. “Reverses, bubble [screens], deep passes, intermediate. So just being able to have that here, just get the ball in my hands, I feel like I’d be a threat with the ball in my hands.”

“Just him being on the field with me, all of us, it’d be a huge threat,” Worthy added. “Just waiting [for Brown] to get back.”

• Reid stated Brown didn’t need surgery for his shoulder injury. (Nate Taylor)

Raiders

Tashan Reed of The Athletic updated his 53-man roster projection for the Raiders after their first preseason game.

• At WR, Reed has Jalen Guyton, DJ Turner, and Kristian Wilkerson as the last three for now but knows they all need good camps to solidify those spots. 
• Reed believes TEs Michael Mayer and Harrison Bryant will round out that room but thinks Zach Gentry or Cole Fotheringham has a chance to contribute on special teams and make the roster. 
• Regarding LBs, Reed sees Luke Masterson as the backup Will LB and fifth-rounder Tommy Eichenberg as the backup Mike LB. Reed cites special teams as the reason Amari Burney makes the roster.
• Reed suggests CB could be a position where they look to the waiver wire if M.J. Devonshire can’t eliminate the big plays allowed.
• Finally, Reed thinks safeties Chris Smith II and Trey Taylor need to look the part on special teams to secure a spot. 
• Raiders DE Maxx Crosby said they needed to “get off blocks” more productively in their preseason loss to the Vikings: “You just got to get off blocks…you’re only as strong as your weakest link. That wasn’t the standard.” (Paul Gutierrez)
• Raiders WR Davante Adams is glad to have a full offseason and familiarity with their offense going into 2024: “Any time you’ve got to miss some camp, it’s not the most comfortable feeling…familiarity [with the offense] helps ease my mind.” (Gutierrez)