Chargers

• ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler’s top-10 safety poll from coaches and execs around the league has Chargers S Derwin James Jr. at number two: “I thought Derwin had his best, most complete year,” an NFL secondary coach said. “Blitzing, coverage, tackling, just overall was really good. … He can really do it all. And he’s been healthy for a long stretch, which is good to see.”

Chiefs

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes confirmed that he plans to return for Week 1 despite tearing his ACL in December.

“That’s my goal,” Mahomes said. “I’ve said that since the beginning, is being ready to go Week 1. I can’t predict the future, and I know that it’s a long process. It’s not just my decision, but at the same time I’m going to give the doctors and the coaches every single opportunity I can to let me be out there Week 1.”

“I don’t want to miss that game because that’s the team that won the division while we were gone, and you want to be out there and ready to go with your teammates,” Mahomes continued. “I’ll give every single thing I can to be out there Week 1, and hopefully the doctors and the coaches give me the green light, and I’m able to go out there with my guys and compete against one of the best teams in the league.”

“[A]ll I can do is be as great as I can be every single day,” Mahomes concluded. “You just have to maximize that day and slowly get better and better as the year goes on. I’m excited to get back to training camp. I’m excited to get the guys back around. I’ve kind of been in the building in Kansas City by myself. Just [to] have the guys back and getting to be on the football field will get me going and get me ready for the season.”

Raiders

Raiders HC Klint Kubiak said that TE Brock Bowers will continue to be a center point of the offense.

“We’ve got to get the most out of Brock,” Kubiak said, via ESPN. “He’s been successful in college and high school with whoever’s coached him. Can’t say enough great things about him. Love his work ethic. He is a standard-bearer.”

Raiders QB Kirk Cousins compared Bowers to former Washington TE Jordan Reed in his versatility to line up out wide or as an in-line tight end.

“I remember in Washington, Jordan Reed was arguably our best eligible there, and he became kind of the Joker that you were able to use in unique ways, and Brock [Bowers], in a lot of ways, is that,” Cousins said.

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