Chargers
- Chargers LB Del’Shawn Phillips was fined $11,160 for unnecessary roughness (facemask).
Chiefs
Chiefs first-round LT Josh Simmons said he plans on keeping his 22-day absence “in-house” and didn’t provide further reasoning on why he was away from the team.
“I kind of want to keep that in house, with all due respect,” Simmons said, via ESPN. “I know everybody wants to know, but it’s something I want to keep, you know, [private]. … Obviously, family is the biggest thing Polynesians lean on. When you get in that, it just makes everything a lot better.”
Simmons added that he maintained contact with the team and kept himself in shape during his absence.
“I was making sure I was working out, just keeping my feet alive and making sure my nervous system was woken up,” Simmons said. “I was ready to play. The communication with the team was very transparent, especially at the end. I had some teammates that were always checking in on me. When you have teammates like that, it definitely [helped].
Simmons was impressive in his return, allowing only two pressures on 49 pass-blocking snaps.
“There’s always room [for improvement], but I think as a front we swung as hard as we could,” Simmons said of the Chiefs’ offensive line. “I mean, [Bonitto] is an extremely gifted player, so going against that was a fair welcome back. I think with the teammates that I had throughout that week, they helped me up and brush that [rust] off.”
Simmons expressed gratitude towards the organization for having his back during his time away.
“I want to thank the entire Kansas City and this club for having my [back] for the time I was away from the team,” Simmons said. “It showed how much love this team and city has for me. I can’t wait to give it back to them.”
Chiefs
Chiefs TE Travis Kelce was expected to retire this past offseason but quickly announced he would be returning for another season. He continues to field questions about his potential retirement as the season rolls on.
“Seeing my brother go through it and seeing — I don’t know, how the league works … I want to give the Chiefs a good opportunity, whether I come back or not, and vice versa,” Kelce said, via NFL.com. “It’s one of those things where I’d like to make that decision before they have draft picks and free agency opens, and they can go out there and fill the roster appropriately. All of that will be after the season. I won’t think about it until then.”
“I think it’s not a matter of effort. It’s all just execution,” Kelce continued. “We’re in here every single day grinding our tails off, trying to get that fixed. You feel it from the coaches. They’re tightening things up a little bit so we focus on those details, and so we can play fast and play with a purpose. One of the most fun teams I’ve been on in a while. I’m excited every single day we come into this building. There’s still a chance. I’m fighting man. I think right now it’s a different season than we’ve had really since I can remember. With that being said, every single day is a new challenge, and I love that.”
Raiders
- Raiders DE Malcolm Koonce was fined $12,172 for unnecessary roughness (striking/kicking/tripping/kneeing).
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