Osweiler deflects Elway’s remarks about Manning’s return
Back when Broncos general manager John Elway thought Brock Osweiler would re-sign with Denver, Elway threw nothing but bouquets at their former secondround pick.
Since Osweiler spurned the Broncos for the Texans, Elway has taken shots at the quarterback, including one this week. In an interview in the Denver Post, Elway said Osweiler got “bent out of shape” when coach Gary Kubiak benched him in the last regular-season game and returned Peyton Manning to the lineup.
“I haven’t talked to Brock about it,” Elway told the newspaper. “I’ve only kind of heard about it, of why he may have been a little bit upset about the way things went.
“I can understand that he didn’t want to sit down and have Peyton come back in that San Diego game, but it wasn’t the fact that Brock was playing bad.
“We needed a change of something. So I was a little surprised just how he seemed to be a little bent out of shape about that. But he had an opportunity to make a tremendous amount of money ($72 million, including $37 million guaranteed) in Houston, and for us, it just didn’t fit.”
After practice Monday, Osweiler was asked about Elway’s comments.
“The only thing I would say is what kind of competitor wouldn’t want to play in that situation?” Osweiler said. “Outside of that, I think I’ve answered all of those questions. We’re now in August. We just had a great training camp practice, and I’m excited to play the 49ers.”
Players ready for 49ers
Quarterback Brock Osweiler and his teammates are eager to see how they’ll do in practice Friday and in their first preseason game Sunday at San Francisco.
After eight practices, including six outdoors, the Texans are ready to travel to Santa Clara, Calif., where the high Monday was 81. It’s supposed to be 84 on Sunday.
“I can’t wait,” Osweiler said after Monday’s practice in their bubble. “It’s hard because you don’t want to look too far ahead. We have another practice (Tuesday), and then we go into an off day (Wednesday) and then another practice (Thursday morning) before we fly out to San Francisco.
“Obviously, I know the game is approaching, and I’m very excited to get out there and finally play a game and really see where we’re at.”
No one hurt in brief scuffle
Receiver Keith Mumphery and cornerback Robert Nelson looked like middleweights when they got into a fight after a play and pounded each other with right and left crosses — to their helmets and shoulder pads.
The fight lasted about five seconds, but both landed punches. Nobody was hurt because they were in full pads.
“I think that was a cat fight out there,” outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus said. “(It) just sounded like a lot of slapping going on. It’s like shaking that soda can, and it just popped.”
Coach Bill O’Brien doesn’t condone fighting. But the Texans’ joint practices against Washington last preseason had so many fights that O’Brien and Washington coach Jay Gruden agreed to end the last one early.
There’ll be no fighting against the 49ers.
“We don’t ever want that,” O’Brien said. “(49ers coach) Chip (Kelly) and I will talk to our teams. We’ve already spoken to each other about that. If you fight, you’re out of practice.”
Clowney, Martin miss practice
For the second consecutive day, outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney and rookie center Nick Martin didn’t practice because of specified injuries.
Neither injury is deemed serious, according to coach Bill O’Brien.
“I think we’re, for precautionary reasons, just watching both those guys,” O’Brien said. “It’s nothing that’s serious, but I think rest will help them.”
Defensive lineman Christian Covington remains sidelined with a concussion and is in the NFL mandatory protocol. Offensive tackle Derek Newton and linebacker Reshard Cliett are out with strained hamstrings.
Young receivers learning ropes
Only two of the team’s 10 receivers have at least three years of NFL experience — Cecil Shorts III and DeAndre Hopkins.
“Just because we have a young receiving corps in general, you have to help as much as possible,” said Jaelen Strong, who’s playing in his second season. “Things I may not know, other guys help me. I try to keep everybody else on the same track in the film room. We all hold each other accountable.”
The receivers got a head start on the offseason program when they went to Phoenix to work with new quarterback Brock Osweiler after he signed with the Texans.
Strong was asked how much that helped working with Osweiler at Arizona State?
“A lot,” he said. “We came into camp already knowing each other. We bonded pretty well out there, got to know each other pretty well. (Then) we just hit the ground running.”