AFC Notes: Browns, Chiefs, Hackenberg, Jets

Browns cornerback Joe Haden will play the final two games of the season and then undergo surgery to repair both groin muscles in early January, according to Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. Haden anticipates a two-month recovery time and will “for sure” be ready for offseason workouts, he told Cabot. The two-time Pro Bowler (and 2016 Pro Bowl alternate) has played through groin injuries for a large portion of the year, which would at least partially explain why his overall performance ranks just 97th among 121 qualifying corners at Pro Football Focus. Haden, 27, also started the year behind the 8-ball after undergoing ankle surgery last March, which prevented him from participating in offseason workouts and delayed his training camp debut until August.

Here’s more from the AFC:

• If the Chiefs hadn’t brought linebacker Justin March-Lillard back from IR on Wednesday, running back Jamaal Charles likely would’ve been cleared to practice next week and play in January, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Charles theoretically could have been a playoff weapon for the Chiefs, though they apparently didn’t think he’d have contributed enough to justify bringing back this season. The four-time Pro Bowler has played in just eight games (three this year) dating back to last season because of knee issues, including a torn right ACL. Further, as Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star explained Wednesday, the Chiefs’ linebacker corps took a hit when Derrick Johnson suffered a ruptured Achilles earlier this month and March-Lillard could help fill his void.
• “It’s possible” Jets rookie quarterback Christian Hackenberg will dress against the Patriots on Saturday, head coach Todd Bowles stated Thursday (via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com). The Jets used a second-round pick on Hackenberg in last spring’s draft, but – despite ugly performances by fellow signal-callers Ryan Fitzpatrick and Bryce Petty – he hasn’t been active this season. Bowles didn’t rule out playing Hackenberg, who would be a third-stringer, but it would take unfortunate circumstances. “If we get down to the third quarterback, we’re probably getting killed in the first place,” Bowles said.
• Jets special teams coach Brant Boyer is only in his first year with the team, but his job is already in jeopardy, writes Kimberley A. Martin of Newsday. New York has the worst special teams unit in the NFL, per Football Outsiders, and gave up a blocked punt that the Dolphins returned for a touchdown in a 34-13 romp over the Jets last week. In their previous meeting with Miami, a 27-23 loss in Week 9, the Jets allowed a 96-yard kick return TD to Kenyan Drake with 5:15 left in the fourth quarter. That proved to be the game-winning score, and it sent the Jets to 3-6 when they had an opportunity to climb closer to the .500 mark. “It has been a frustrating year,” Boyer told Martin. “There have been some injuries, But there is no excuse for me. It’s my job to get these kids ready. We’ll get it done.”

Zach Links contributed to this post.