Tag: AFC West

Raiders legend Tim Brown on rivalry with Chiefs: ‘Bona fide, from-the-gut hatred’

#Raiders legend Tim Brown told @EdEastonJr about his “bona fide, from-the-gut hatred” for the #Chiefs in a recent interview.

Pro Football Hall of Famer Tim Brown is among the many athletes and celebrities competing in the third annual Invited Celebrity Classic on April 19-21 at Las Colinas Country Club in Irving, Texas. PGA Champions Tour pros and celebrities will be paired together all three days of competition, creating a dynamic attraction for spectators and the Golf Channel audience.

Chiefs Wire’s Ed Easton Jr. sat down with Brown to discuss this weekend’s golf tournament and the Hall of Famer’s hatred of playing against the Chiefs.

“I can’t wait; I’ve been waiting all year for this,” Brown said, describing his excitement for the golf tournament. “I mean, for another year, I should say. … I didn’t get off to a good start last year and played a lot better on Sunday. I’m hoping to pick it up from there and play good all weekend.”

During Brown’s 16 years with the Los Angeles and Oakland Raiders, he was right in the middle of his team’s rivalry with the Kansas City Chiefs. He explained the mindset and feelings that both teams had for one another on the field during his tenure with the Raiders.

“Oh, the hatred, brother, bona fide from-the-gut hatred for both teams,” Brown said. “I mean, there’re not many games that, after the game, I didn’t shake hands with people. Almost every time we play Kansas City, that never happened. You find a way to, like, ‘Yeah, I’ll see you. I’ll see him later on.’ But you didn’t feel like it, man.

“Because we didn’t have a very good record versus the Chiefs for a while, it certainly made it even harder to be all nice and all that stuff after a game, but yeah, man, it’s the hatred between both teams; I think it was a reason why those rivalries were so good.”

Luckily for Brown, his days of facing Kansas City are over, and he can focus on more important things like his follow-through on drives on the links.

The Invited Celebrity Classic is free to the public and has raised $500,000 for charity over the past two years.

Champions Tour players expected to participate in this event include John Daly, Vijay Singh, Justin Leonard, Retief Goosen, Lee Janzen and Colin Montgomerie.

Fans can register for the event at www.invitedcelebrityclassic.com

After visiting Broncos, rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit signs with Chiefs

After visiting the Broncos, Welsh rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit decided to sign with the Chiefs instead.

The Denver Broncos have lost an intriguing free agent prospect to a division rival.

After working out for the Broncos earlier this week, Welsh rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit visited the Kansas City Chiefs — and signed a deal with KC.

Rees-Zammit, 23, joins the Chiefs as part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway program and he will not count against the 90-man offseason roster limit during training camp. Each team will also have an extra spot on the practice squad this year designated for an international player.

Last year, Denver was allocated defensive lineman Haggai Chisom Ndubuisi as part of the IPP program, but he is no longer with the team. If the Broncos want to carry an international player on the squad this summer, they will have to look to other candidates after missing out on Rees-Zammit.

Since it launched in 2017, the IPP program has helped 38 international players reach the NFL. Going into the 2024 offseason, there are currently 19 IPP players on NFL rosters.

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Raiders HC Antonio Pierce explains novel approach to defending Patrick Mahomes

#Raiders HC Antonio Pierce explained Las Vegas’ new approach to defending Patrick Mahomes.

Every team in the AFC West aims to find a way to defeat the Kansas City Chiefs and dethrone their dominance over the division. The six consecutive AFC West champions have had their way with the rest of the division, with the other three teams consistently retooling in the offseason.

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce experienced some success against the Chiefs in 2023 with his shocking victory at Arrowhead Stadium on Christmas Day. The outspoken former linebacker spoke with Maxx Crosby on his podcast “The Rush” about his special rules for facing Patrick Mahomes.

“We’ve got the Jordan rules and what I’m calling, from now on as long as I’m here, the Patrick Mahomes rules,” Pierce said. “You remember when Jordan was going through it with the Pistons? All those guys in the ’80s; before he became Michael Jordan, Air Jordan, the Pistons used to whip his [expletive].

“Any time he came to the hole? Elbows, feeling him, love taps. We touched him. We’re in the head, mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually; I’m touching you. So, I showed those guys Jordan getting his ass whooped.”

The Jordan Rules were created by the infamous 1980s Detroit Pistons in the NBA to slow down Michael Jordan’s effectiveness on offense. Pierce comparing Mahomes to Jordan is highly praised and shows an interesting mindset to be extra physical in their matchups.

Crosby has already demonstrated his willingness to get chippy with Mahomes, so it appears the plan is well underway.

Broncos among candidates to play in NFL’s 2024 season opener

The Broncos are among eight candidates to face the Chiefs in the NFL’s 2024 season opener.

As the defending Super Bowl champions from the 2023 season, the Kansas City Chiefs are now set to host the NFL’s season opener in 2024.

The Chiefs’ list of eight home opponents in 2024 obviously includes the AFC West. That puts the Denver Broncos among the candidates to travel to Kansas City in Week 1.

The Broncos just snapped a 16-game losing streak to the Chiefs last season, defeating their division rival 24-9 in late October. But the NFL will probably view other opponents on KC’s schedule as more intriguing candidates for the opener.

In addition to the Justin Herbert-led Los Angeles Chargers, the Chiefs will also host teams including the Baltimore Ravens (and 2023 NFL MVP Lamar Jackson), the Houston Texans (and young star C.J. Stroud), and the Cincinnati Bengals (and Joe Burrow) in 2024. Burrow is 3-1 against Kansas City in his career, including a 1-1 record in the playoffs.

Russell Wilson is facing an uncertain future in Denver and the Broncos are unlikely to have a QB matchup more intriguing than Jackson, Burrow or Stroud to face off against Mahomes in Week 1. Denver is a candidate for the opener, but probably not a favorite. Here’s the full list of teams the Chiefs are set to host during the 2024 NFL season.

Raiders locker room repainted for Chiefs ahead of Super Bowl LVIII

The #Raiders’ locker room got a fresh coat of paint ahead of the #Chiefs’ matchup against the #49ers in Super Bowl LVIII.

The Kansas City Chiefs are set to play in Super Bowl LVIII against the San Francisco 49ers at the home of their bitter divisional rival Las Vegas Raiders, Allegiant Stadium.

While Las Vegas has yet to see a playoff game at their billion-plus dollar dome, Kansas City’s players are making themselves at home in the Raiders’ locker room, which was re-painted ahead of the February 11 championship matchup.

Adorned with an arrowhead and Lombardi Trophy iconography, the new look in Las Vegas’ locker room was called “the ultimate indignity” by one account in Sin City on Twitter.

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The Chiefs are likely to feel at home when they face San Francisco at Allegiant Stadium. Kansas City has never lost a game in the impressive arena and can push their record at the venue to 5-0 with a win over the 49ers.

Expect the Chiefs to do everything they can to keep their perfect record intact during Super Bowl LVIII.

Jimmy Garoppolo might be an option for the Broncos in 2024

The Raiders are expected to cut Jimmy Garoppolo this offseason and the Broncos would make sense as a potential landing spot.

After firing Josh McDaniels six games into the 2023 season, the first lineup change the Las Vegas Raiders made was benching quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.

Garoppolo, 32, was a “McDaniels guy” who played for the coach with the New England Patriots before reuniting with him in Las Vegas. The veteran quarterback will have a salary cap hit north of $27 million this year, but the Raiders are expected to release him.

Once he becomes available, Garoppolo might draw interest from the Denver Broncos, who are expected to release Russell Wilson in March.

If the Broncos do cut Wilson as expected, Jarrett Stidham and Ben DiNucci would be left as the only two QBs under contract for the 2024 season. Denver will undoubtedly add at least one more QB to the roster this offseason.

Garoppolo would not be a flashy signing, but he’s a veteran QB with a 43-20 record as a starter. Pairing him with a rookie might be an appealing option for coach Sean Payton, who also played QB at Eastern Illinois.

When Las Vegas cuts “Jimmy G” later this spring, the Broncos will be a team to keep an eye on as a potential landing spot.

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Jim Harbaugh joins impressive list of coaches in AFC West

AFC West coaches have reached eight combined Super Bowls and won three Coach of the Year awards.

The Los Angeles Chargers hired Jim Harbaugh earlier this week and he is now set to join an AFC West that also includes Andy Reid (Kansas City Chiefs), Sean Payton (Denver Broncos) and Antonio Pierce (Las Vegas Raiders).

Reid, 65, won Super Bowl XXXI as an assistant with the Green Bay Packers in 1996. He later reached Super Bowl XXXIX as head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2004, two years after winning Coach of the Year.

Reid became the Kansas City’s head coach in 2013. After drafting quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Reid and Chiefs have reached three Super Bowls, winning twice (and they’re back in the AFC championship game this year).

Payton, 60, was named Coach of the Year in 2006. He reached three NFC championship games with the New Orleans Saints and won Super Bowl XLIV following the 2009 season.

Harbaugh, 60, won Coach of the Year honors in 2011. He reached the NFC title game three times with the San Francisco 49ers and helped the club reach Super Bowl XLVII in 2012. Harbaugh then coached at the college level from 2015-2023, going 86-25 at Michigan (including a perfect 15-0 record and a national championship title last fall).

Pierce, 45, played linebacker in the NFL for nine seasons, earning one Pro Bowl nod. He won Super Bowl XLII as a player with the New York Giants in 2007. Pierce transitioned to coaching in 2014 and he’s been with the Raiders since 2022. This fall will mark his first season as a full-time head coach in the NFL.

The AFC West might be the best division of coaches in the league going into the 2024 campaign.

Coach and GM roundup: Titans hire ex-Broncos assistant as head coach

Coach roundup: Titans hired ex-Broncos assistant Brian Callahan as HC, Raiders stick with Antonio Pierce while Chargers land Jim Harbaugh.

Story update: After this post was scheduled, the Los Angeles Chargers agreed to terms with Jim Harbaugh to be their new head coach. See our original post below. 

The NFL’s coaching carousel continues turning as teams outside the playoffs begin preparing for the 2024 campaign.

After firing Mike Vrabel, the Tennessee Titans have replaced him with former Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan as their new head coach. Callahan, 39, was an assistant coach with the Denver Broncos from 2010-2015, helping the team win Super Bowl 50 following the 2015 season.

Peyton Manning has heaped praise on Callahan, who left the Broncos in 2016 to become the Detroit Lions’ quarterbacks coach. After two seasons in Detroit, Callahan coached QBs for the Oakland Raiders in 2018 before getting Cincy’s OC job in 2019.

Seven years after leaving Denver, Callahan was a candidate to return to the Broncos in 2022 when the team fired Vic Fangio. The Broncos interviewed Callahan for their HC opening before eventually hiring Nathaniel Hackett instead. Two years later, Callahan is now a HC in Tennessee and the Broncos have replaced Hackett with Sean Payton.

Elsewhere on the coaching front, the Atlanta Falcons have completed a second head coach interview with Ejiro Evero, who served as Denver’s defensive coordinator in 2022.

Broncos defensive backs coach Christian Parker has interviewed for the New England Patriots’s defensive coordinator position, but Pats in-house candidate DeMarcus Covington is considered the favorite to land that gig.

Meanwhile, in the AFC West, the Las Vegas Raiders have officially hired Antonio Pierce as their new head coach, removing his interim tag. Las Vegas has also hired a general manager, bringing in Tom Telesco. That means the Raiders will not hire Denver executive Kelly Kleine Van Calligan, who interviewed for the GM opening.

Las Vegas is now set to interview ex-Broncos QBs coach Mike Sullivan (2018) for their offensive coordinator position.

The Los Angeles Chargers have interviewed Vrabel for their HC opening, but Jim Harbaugh is believed to be a leading candidate for the job after setting up a second interview with Los Angeles.

The Chargers and Patriots are still seeking GMs. L.A.’s list of GM candidates includes Jeff Ireland, Dawn Aponte and Jeff King.

In addition to the Chargers and Falcons, the Seattle Seahawks, Carolina Panthers and Washington Commanders also have HC openings. Harbaugh, Vrabel and Bill Belichick are the most notable coaches still available.

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Chargers hire Jim Harbaugh as head coach

Chargers hire Jim Harbaugh as head coach

Jim Harbaugh is coming to the AFC West. For a time it looked like the Raiders could be that team. But when then they hired Antonio Pierce as head coach, susequently removing their name from the list of landing spots for the head coach of the reigning National Championship Michigan Wolverines.

On the same day Pierce was officially introduced as head coach, we find out Harbaugh won’t even have to change the colors in his wardrobe as the Chargers made their move official.

The team with the best social media team in the NFL first went with literal smoke signals.

For those unfamiliar, at the Vatican when they have named a new pope, they send up white smoke. In other words, the Chargers have their new coach.

The next tweet confirmed who that coach is with the Harbaugh signature catch phrase.

And finally they changed their profile pic to Harbaugh’s face and made the announcement.

So, welcome Jim Harbaugh back to the NFL and to the AFC West.

The division has several high profile coaches now with Harbaugh joining the likes of Chiefs Andy Reid and Broncos Sean Payton. Wild, wild West.

Coach and GM roundup: Commanders hire ex-Broncos scout as GM

Adam Peters worked his way up from scout to director of college scouting with the Broncos before joining the 49ers. He is now a GM in DC.

As we wait for word on any coaching staff changes for the Denver Broncos, other teams across the league have been busy making moves.

The Washington Commanders recently hired ex-Broncos executive Adam Peters as their new general manager. Peters joined Denver’s staff in 2009 and he worked his way up from scout to director of college scouting before being hired by the San Francisco 49ers as vice president of player personnel in 2017. Peters served as an assistant GM with the Niners from 2021-2023.

Elsewhere, the New Orleans Saints have fired offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael, who worked under Broncos coach Sean Payton in New Orleans from 2006-2021. Joe Lombardi currently holds the OC job in Denver.

Meanwhile, in the AFC West, the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders are both seeking new head coaches and general managers.

The most notable coach candidate the Chargers have interviewed is Jim Harbaugh (who was a candidate for Denver last year). ESPN’s Adam Schefter believes Los Angeles is targeting Harbaugh as “their guy.”

The Chargers also set up a head coach interview with Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan, who coached in Denver from 2010-2015.

The Raiders are also said to have interest in Harbaugh, but it sounds like interim coach Antonio Pierce is a strong candidate to get the full-time job. On the GM front, Las Vegas’ list of candidates includes Broncos executive Kelly Kleine Van Calligan, who joined Denver’s staff in 2021.

If the Raiders hire Van Calligan as their new GM, the Broncos would be awarded a pair of third-round compensatory draft picks (one in 2024 and in 2025) as part of the NFL’s Rooney Rule that rewards teams for developing minority executives and coaches.

In addition to the Chargers and Raiders, the Carolina Panthers, Atlanta Falcons, Tennessee Titans, Seattle Seahawks and Commanders are also seeking new coaches this offseason. The most notable candidates available are Harbaugh, Bill Belichick and Mike Vrabel.

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