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Broncos Receiver Eric Decker Named AFC Offensive Player of the Week

Awards, anyone?

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Somebody give No. 87 some wings!

Denver Broncos wide receiver Eric Decker has been named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week, the NFL announced on Wednesday. This marks the first of such awards Decker has won.

Going into Sunday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Decker had caught three touchdown passes on the season. Following Denver's 35-28 victory over the Chiefs, Decker now has seven.

Decker set a franchise record with four receiving touchdowns on Sunday as quarterback Peyton Manning feasted on Chiefs rookie cornerback Marcus Cooper, who was assigned with the task of covering the fourth-year receiver. The result was eight catches for 174 yards and an astonishing four scores hauled in by Decker.

Meanwhile, Manning and rookie running back Montee Ball have both been nominated for weekly awards on NFL.com. Voting for those awards will run through Friday (cast your vote!).

The Broncos will have to make a decision on Decker's future this offseason. Decker's rookie contract will expire this summer and Denver will have several other star players primed to hit free agency.

Starters including Knowshon Moreno, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Chris Harris Jr., Shaun Phillips and Wesley Woodyard will all be free agents following this season and players including Von Miller, Julius Thomas, and Demaryius Thomas will become free agents in 2015.

Denver will not be able to re-sign every high-profile player on the roster and if both Decker and Thomas are planning to demand mega contract extensions, Denver may have to choose between the two of them.

For now, though, Denver is 10-2 and the No. 1 seed in the AFC with a chance to clinch a playoff berth this weekend. Contracts will be worked out in the offseason and while this team may look very different just two years from now, Denver has the chance to do something special this season.

Enjoy the ride while it lasts, folks.