AFC West

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert is active and will play in Sunday's matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars despite dealing with a rib injury.

Earlier Sunday, it was reported the 24-year-old would make a decision during warm-ups on whether to take a "painkilling injection," ESPN's Adam Schefter reported.

Herbert suffered a rib cartilage fracture in a Week 2 loss against the Kansas City Chiefs, though he showed an enormous level of toughness and played through the injury to finish the game.

"You're not going to see a quarterback at any level of football play tougher and do more for their team and will their team to give them a chance more than him," head coach Brandon Staley told reporters after that contest. "There's nobody that can do what he can do, nobody. He showed a lot of guts, he showed us what he shows every day, that we're never out of the fight, and he brought us back and gave us a chance."

Herbert has already proved himself as one of the NFL's rising superstars at the quarterback position, throwing for 5,014 yards, 38 touchdowns and 15 interceptions while completing 65.9 percent of his passes last season.

That earned him his first Pro Bowl bid in just his second season after he took home Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2020.

If Herbert is forced to leave Sunday's game, Chase Daniel will handle things under center.

Denver Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett has hired Jerry Rosburg as a senior assistant to help with game management, according to Mike Klis of 9News.

Klis wrote:

"Rosburg had been with the Broncos all week, observing practices and talking with personnel while his specific role and contract were being finalized. The hiring was finalized late Friday afternoon in time for Rosburg to assist Hackett for the game Sunday night against the San Francisco 49ers at Empower Field at Mile High."

It was clear through the first two weeks of the season that Hackett needed some help on the sidelines. The Broncos were defeated by the Seattle Seahawks 17-16 in Week 1 and were down 9-6 entering the fourth quarter of a 16-9 win over the Houston Texans last week.

Hackett said earlier this week that he and the coaching staff were working on improving their game-day management, per Aric DiLalla of the team website:

"When it comes to the operation, that's something we're talking about quite a bit. There's a lot of things. We've got to make sure the communication is clear and concise. I need to do better at making decisions faster and quicker and getting that information to the quarterback and being on the same page with him. That's stuff that we're talking about this morning all the way to this evening and making sure it's got to improve."

With the addition of Rosburg to help with game management, Hackett should become much more comfortable moving forward.

Hackett is in his first year as an NFL head coach, and his coaching staff is also on the younger, more inexperienced, side, meaning that Rosburg's veteran presence will be a welcomed addition, especially in the game-day decision-making department.

Rosburg began his coaching career as a secondary coach for Boston College in 1997. He remained in the role in 1998 before joining Notre Dame from 1999-2000 as a cornerbacks coach and special teams coordinator.

The 66-year-old broke into the NFL as a special teams coordinator for the Cleveland Browns in 2001 and served in the role through the 2006 campaign. In 2007, he joined the Atlanta Falcons as a special teams coordinator.

The most time Rosburg spent with a franchise came when he served as a special teams coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens from 2008 to 2018.

The Broncos are set to face the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert's status for Sunday's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars seems to be up in the air after he suffered a fracture to his rib cartilage during a Week 2 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, and head coach Brandon Staley confirmed the team is taking a day-to-day approach.

"He's gotten a lot of rest since the last game," Staley told reporters Wednesday. "He's feeling more comfortable. I know that he was able to do some light throwing yesterday, some rotational work, but we're just going to take it day by day and see where his comfort level is."

Staley also said the decision on whether to play Herbert against Jacksonville "will start with him and then obviously him feeling good about what the medical team feels like is best, him weighing the options and then us making a good decision."

It's worth noting that the medical team is under some scrutiny.

ESPN's Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter reported former Chargers quarterback Tyrod Taylor, who now plays for the New York Giants, is suing team doctor David S. Gazzaniga for medical malpractice. Taylor is seeking at least $5 million in damages for the incident that left him with a punctured lung while he was being treated for a rib injury in 2020.

This is the same doctor charged with caring for Herbert's latest injury.

From a football perspective, Herbert's availability could be the difference between a win and a loss on Sunday. He is one of the best quarterbacks in the league and has completed 72.0 percent of his passes for 613 yards, six touchdowns and one interception through two games this season.

He isn't the only injury concern for Los Angeles, as wide receiver Keenan Allen missed the game against the Chiefs with a hamstring injury.

The Chargers announced Allen, like Hebert, was limited in Wednesday's practice.

That is plenty of offensive firepower hanging in the balance for the Chargers, and they may need it against a Jaguars defense that shut out the Indianapolis Colts during a 24-0 victory in Week 2.

Arizona Cardinals star Kyler Murray is willing to extend an olive branch to the Las Vegas Raiders fan who allegedly struck him in the face following Arizona's 29-23 victory Sunday.

"No hard feelings. If I see him, I’d shake his hand," Murray told reporters.

The Cardinals quarterback added it was "a live game."

Las Vegas police said Monday they were looking into the matter and confirmed authorities received a battery complaint.

Cameron Cox of 12 News shared a clip of Byron Murphy Jr. scoring the game-winning touchdown in overtime and Arizona's subsequent celebration. At one point, Murray runs toward a field-level suite to high-five fans. One fan appears to swipe his hand at Murray's face.

Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury didn't mince words in the immediate aftermath.

"I think the guy is a low-life, whoever did it," he told reporters. "I hope they arrest him and he gets fired and he never can go to another game."

Following Murray's comments, the matter may be settled for the most part pending the outcome of the police investigation. It could be a while before the two-time Pro Bowler is back at Allegiant Stadium as well.

The Cardinals aren't scheduled to play the Raiders again until 2026, and that will be a home game for Arizona. A meeting could happen as early as 2024, but it would also be at State Farm Stadium if the teams are paired up.

The Kansas City Chiefs will be without one of their key defensive players for the next few weeks.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that Chiefs linebacker Willie Gay Jr. has been suspended for the next four games for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy. Sam McDowell of the Kansas City Star added that the suspension stems from a January arrest in Overland Park, Kansas.

According to Adam Teicher of ESPN, Gay was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of criminal property damage of less than $1,000 during the week of Kansas City's AFC divisional round playoff game against the Buffalo Bills. His agents said he was visiting his son and got into an argument with the child's mother, who then called the police.

Per Teicher, the police report "estimated the total property damage at $225 for a vacuum cleaner, cellphone screen protector, humidifier and damage to a wall and door frame."

A second-round pick in 2020, Gay appeared in 12 games last season totaled 48 tackles, two interceptions and 0.5 sacks. He spent a few weeks on injured reserve with a toe injury. He was expected to take another step this season.

Through two games this year, Gay is tied for second on the Chiefs with 16 total tackles while adding two passes defended. The 24-year-old appeared in 92 percent of the team's defensive snaps in Kansas City's win over the Los Angeles Chargers last Thursday night.

Gay will miss games against the Indianapolis Colts, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Las Vegas Raiders and Buffalo Bills. He will be eligible to return in Week 7 against the San Francisco 49ers.

Denver Broncos wide receiver Jerry Jeudy and cornerback Patrick Surtain II are day-to-day after getting injured in Sunday's 16-9 win over the Houston Texans, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Head coach Nathaniel Hackett confirmed Jeudy injured his ribs, while Surtain had a shoulder issue. 9News' Mike Klis reported preliminary X-rays for Jeudy were negative, but the 2020 first-round pick was scheduled to have more testing.

Jeudy hasn't wasted time in building his on-field connection with Russell Wilson. The two combined for a 67-yard touchdown pass in a Week 1 17-16 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

He was forced to exit Sunday after only logging 10 plays, though. He caught one pass for 11 yards on three targets.

Surtain's usage was likewise limited as he had two tackles in his 25 defensive snaps against Houston. The defense still made life difficult for Davis Mills, who finished 19-of-38 for 177 yards and was sacked three times.

The Broncos are back in action in Week 3 against the San Francisco 49ers. Since they're only day-to-day, both Jeudy and Surtain could presumably be healthy in time to suit up.

Only two games into his tenure, head coach Nathaniel Hackett is already facing significant scrutiny. He'll obviously want to have his squad at full strength as Denver looks to improve to 2-1.

Nathaniel Hackett may have lost a ton of faith among Denver Broncos fans for his late-game gaffe in last week's loss to the Seattle Seahawks, but the team is still firmly behind the first-year coach.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported Hackett has built a "strong bond" with players behind the scenes already, and the vibe in Denver's locker room has been "encouraging and optimistic rather than down" heading into Week 2's matchup with the Houston Texans.

Much to the chagrin of the entire football community, Hackett chose to play for a 64-yard Brandon McManus field goal rather than attempt a conversion on 4th-and-5 with less than a minute to go in the fourth quarter in Monday's game against the Seattle Seahawks. McManus missed the kick, which would have tied for the second-longest kick in NFL history, and the Seahawks escaped with a 17-16 victory.

Hackett later admitted the decision was a mistake, but his players publicly backed their coach.

"I always believe in having the ball and everything else, but also we've got a great kicker, and we're going to believe in our kicker again," Russell Wilson said. "I also trust (Hackett's) decisions and everything else, but I'm also always ready to go try to do it if we need to."

Social media and pundits were much less forgiving, pointing out (correctly) that the Broncos spent nine figures and three future first-round draft picks to acquire Wilson for these exact types of moments. The lack of faith in offense, particularly for an offensive coach like Hackett, was jarring.

"Everyone learned so much this past week, especially me," Hackett texted Rapoport. "And we are going to be better for it. Now we get to move forward, grow as a team and get ready for Houston!"

It remains to be seen what type of reception Hackett will be given by the Broncos faithful Sunday.

Quarterback Tyrod Taylor filed a malpractice lawsuit against Los Angeles Chargers team doctor David S. Gazzaniga after suffering a punctured lung in Gazzaniga's care during the 2020 season.

ESPN's Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter reported Taylor filed the suit and is seeking at least $5 million for lost wages.

"As he returned to free agency, he entered as a backup quarterback as opposed to a starting quarterback. The economic difference between a starting quarterback's salary and a backup quarterback salary is at least $5,000,000 and is more than likely much greater," the lawsuit reads. "The exact amount of such past and future loss is unknown to (Taylor) at this time, and he will ask leave of this Court for permission to amend this Complaint to set forth the total amount when ascertained."

Taylor suffered a punctured lung in September 2020 when he was being administered a pain-killing injection to his ribs. The injury ultimately cost Taylor his starting job with the Chargers, with then-rookie Justin Herbert taking over as the starter.

Gazzaniga remains the Chargers' lead doctor and will be in charge of the care given to Herbert as he deals with fractured rib cartilage suffered in Thursday's loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Chargers head coach Brandon Staley said Herbert is being listed as day-to-day. A determination about his status for next week's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars is unlikely to be determined until late next week.

"It's just going to come down to comfort," Staley told reporters. "It's such a rotational position, just going to have to make sure that he's comfortable, and we're not going to know more about how he feels until later on in the week."

If Herbert does suit up in Week 3, it's possible—if not likely—he undergoes the same type of pain-managing injection Taylor underwent two years prior.

Taylor left the Chargers organization after the 2020 season and signed a one-year, $5.3 million contract with the Houston Texans. While Taylor never would have been paid like an upper-echelon quarterback, he could have made well into eight figures in guarantees if he performed well as a stopgap starter before ceding to Herbert.

Taylor did not file a grievance against the Chargers in the initial aftermath of the matter.

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert has been diagnosed with a fracture to his rib cartilage.

Head coach Brandon Staley announced the injury on Friday, adding Herbert will be listed as day to day.

Herbert was sacked twice and hit eight other times during a Week 2 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. While he played the entire game, he looked in distress during the game's late stages and the team announced afterwards he was dealing with a rib injury.

"You're not going to see a quarterback at any level of football play tougher and do more for their team and will their team to give them a chance more than him," Staley told reporters after the 27-24 defeat.

The 2020 first-round pick played 32 of a possible 33 games over his first two seasons with the Chargers, missing no contests because of injury. He didn't start Week 1 of his rookie campaign before taking over the following week and he never looked back.

He's completed 72 percent of his throws for 613 yards with six touchdowns and one interception across two games so far in 2022.

Chase Daniel, who's made just five starts across 13 NFL seasons, is next on the Bolts' QB depth chart if Herbert is limited or has to miss time. Easton Stick is the team's other reserve option.

Herbert was a preseason MVP candidate after an impressive progression over his first two years.

The Chargers do have a few extra days to rest and regroup thanks to playing on Thursday in Week 2. Their next game is at home against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sept. 25.

Patrick Mahomes knows he caught a few breaks in Thursday night's 27-24 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, and he vowed to rectify the mistakes moving forward.

Mahomes' stat line was clean, with no interceptions or fumbles, but he recorded four turnover-worthy plays in the AFC West rivalry clash, per Fox Sports' Kev Mahserejian.

"First off, I'm livin' right," Mahomes told reporters. "Because I had a couple interceptions that didn't get called with flags—because there were flags—and then that one got overturned when it hit the ground."

He added: "I had to stop giving them even chances. It's just too close sometimes and I'm going to make sure I get better at that."

Mahomes completed 24 of his 35 throws (68.6 percent) for 235 yards with two touchdown passes in the win, but the result could have been a lot different if a bounce or two went L.A.'s way.

The 2018 NFL MVP, who joked his Pro Football Focus grade would likely suffer following the performance, noted the most important thing was picking up the victory against a top-tier opponent.

"That's going to be a team that's going to be in the playoff picture," Mahomes said. "They're Super Bowl contenders. They have a great defense, great offense, great special teams, so to find a way to win and keep that home-field advantage, I think it was huge and it'll be something that we'll look back on at the end of the season and say that was a big win for us."

Meanwhile, it was a missed opportunity for the Chargers, who led by 10 on two different occasions before Kansas City rattled off 20 straight points from midway through the third quarter until late in the fourth.

L.A. quarterback Justin Herbert suffered a rib injury late in the contest, and the Bolts are awaiting further test results to determine the extent of the injury. Any type of significant absence would change the dynamics of the divisional race.

"There's nobody that can do what he can do, nobody," Chargers head coach Brandon Staley said. "He showed a lot of guts, he showed us what he shows every day, that we're never out of the fight, and he brought us back and gave us a chance."

The Chargers dropped to 1-1 with the loss, while the Chiefs improved to 2-0.

Kansas City and Los Angeles will face off again on Nov. 20 at SoFi Stadium as part of the Week 11 schedule.