AFC West: Broncos corner A.J. Bouye suspended six games

The Broncos will finish the season without one of their best defensive players.

Cornerback A.J. Bouye was suspended six games for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. He’ll miss the final four games of the 2020 campaign and the first two in 2021, but is allowed to partake in offseason and preseason practices and games.

Denver acquired Bouye from the Jacksonville Jaguars in March for a fourth-round pick in April’s draft. He’s missed five games this season with a shoulder injury, but has logged at least 97 percent of the defensive snaps in five of his seven outings.

“I was disappointed for him,” Broncos coach Vic Fangio told reporters Wednesday. “Players have to make really, really good judgments with the people they trust with their career and with their finances. Obviously, something went wrong with this person that he dealt with and trusted. It’s a disappointing situation for everybody.”

The 29-year-old Bouye was not drafted in 2013, but signed as an undrafted free agent with the Houston Texans, with whom he played until his breakout year of 2016. He signed a five-year contract worth $67.5 million in 2017 with the Jaguars and was an All-Pro in 2017, helping Jacksonville reach the AFC Championship game.

He’s struggled this season, though, amid the injury and adjustment to Denver — posting 23 tackles. He has six pass deflections and will finish the season without an interception.

“He did have a choppy season. I think the injuries played a part in it,” Fangio said. “I thought he was — these last couple games he was starting to play better. We’ll just have to see, but it was a rough season for him with the injuries interrupting his availability and play, and now having to deal with the PED suspension.”

Taking charge

Chargers coach Anthony Lynn said Wednesday that he’ll “take charge” of the team’s special teams for the rest of the season. Lynn reassigned special teams coordinator George Stewart late last month and promoted special teams assistant coach Keith Burns into that position amid a myriad of special teams woes.

But the Chargers’ special teams units faltered yet again Sunday during a 45-0 loss to the New England Patriots, allowing a punt and a blocked field goal to be returned for touchdowns.

Lynn also compared the Chargers’ plight to Pearl Harbor, explaining that he spoke to his staff about the importance of perseverance.

“We bounced back from (Pearl Harbor), and I kind of used that an example with my staff,” Lynn told reporters. “We’re going to finish the season out the right way.”

Man of the year?

Chiefs quarterback and reigning Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes was one of five athletes honored Monday as Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of the Year. The theme among the five was “activist athlete.” Mahomes was joined by teammate Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, Seattle Storm wing Breanna Stewart, reigning U.S. Open tennis champion Naomi Osaka and Los Angeles Lakers wing LeBron James.

“I’m obviously super excited and super thankful for them to name me that,” Mahomes told media Wednesday. “The fight is not done. We have to continue to make an impact on this world every single day, and I’m going to continue to do that along with the people in this locker room.”

Contact reporter Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.