2026 AFC West preview, offseason recap for Broncos, Chargers, Chiefs & Raiders
Inside: A snapshot of the AFC West, where availability is top of mind for the Chiefs, Broncos, Chargers and Raiders.
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AFC West Preview
I always appreciate that EA Sports’ “Madden” allows you to adjust injury frequency. I wish the NFL could do that for the AFC West.
Last year was unfair.
The Chargers lost Pro Bowl left tackle Rashawn Slater in training camp. Then-Pro Bowl right tackle Joe Alt missed 11 games due to injury. The Broncos were forced to play the AFC Championship Game without Bo Nix, while Patrick Mahomes ended the season on the Chiefs IR.
The Raiders’ best players — tight end Brock Bowers and edge Maxx Crosby — dealt with nagging leg injuries, while stud left tackle Kolton Miller played just four games.
I hope this season is different.
Denver Broncos
(14-3, lost in AFC Championship Game)
Headline: Adding WR Jaylen Waddle. Denver’s offense needed an explosive, run-after-the-catch target in the middle of the field. In other words, they needed Waddle, who is already delivering in training camp.
Subtle: Losing DL John Franklin-Myers. An underrated contributor, Franklin-Myers had the fifth-most sacks at his position in 2025 (eight, per PFF). His departure to Tennessee on a $21 million per-year deal makes veteran DL Malcolm Roach one of the most important Broncos this season.
Question: How much time does Jonathon Cooper miss? The edge rusher’s status is uncertain after being arrested twice in June, with the NFL yet to levy any punishment. Cooper is currently practicing with the team and is a key member of Denver’s defense, starting all 17 games in each of the past three seasons and averaging nine sacks per year.
Projection: 10-7. BetMGM projects 9.5 wins here, so I’m narrowly taking the over for one of the league’s best rosters. Denver finished 11-3 in one-score games while overachieving last season. That’s hard to repeat. Just ask the 2025 Chiefs.
Los Angeles Chargers
(11-6, lost in wild-card round)
Headline: Mike McDaniel hired as OC. Voted the 10th-best offensive play caller by a handful of defensive coaches, McDaniel is an elite run game coordinator who built the Dolphins offense into a top-10 unit for two years. McDaniel is now paired with Justin Herbert and Omarion Hampton. Look out.
Subtle: Upgrade at center. “It’s hard to overstate the improvement the Chargers will experience at center,” per Daniel Popper, after they signed Tyler Biadasz, a top-10 player at his position. (To be clear, you might be an improvement. Former center Bradley Bozeman finished 40th among 40 qualifying centers in PFF grade).
Question: How important was Jesse Minter? The former defensive coordinator overachieved with an oft-injured Chargers defense, finishing sixth in EPA per play in 2025. His replacement, Chris O’Leary, has just one season of experience at the NFL level (as a safeties coach for the Chargers in 2024). Can he replicate Minter’s success? The defense is dominating so far in training camp, for what that’s worth.
Projection: 11-6. They somehow went 11-6 and made the playoffs last season. The floor is high. With minimal player turnover on defense and a (hopefully) healthy offensive line, Herbert might not win more regular season games in a tough division but should get his first playoff victory.
Kansas City Chiefs
(6-11 in 2025)
Headline: Signing Kenneth Walker III. A non-existent run game made life difficult for the Chiefs offense, which ranked 30th in explosive rush rate last season (runs of 12-plus yards). Walker, the Super Bowl MVP, finished fifth in that same stat. He’s an ideal fit for Eric Bieniemy’s offense and should be the Chiefs’ first 1,000-yard runner in nearly a decade.
Subtle: Revamping the secondary. No. 1 CB Trent McDuffie was traded. No. 2 CB Jaylen Watson and No. 1 S Bryan Cook left in free agency. That’d be a disaster for most teams, but if anyone can replace three quality starters in one offseason, it’s defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.
Question: Do they have a pass rush? Kansas City last won the Super Bowl in 2023, when it ranked second in the NFL with 57 sacks. That number fell to 39 in 2024 and 35 last season, ahead of only six teams. DT Chris Jones and DE George Karlaftis need help, so the Chiefs spent two top-40 picks on standout DT Peter Woods and edge rusher R Mason Thomas. We’ll see.
Projection: 10-7. Kansas City went 12-0 in one-score games in 2024 before violently regressing last season, finishing 1-9 in games within seven points. BetMGM has the Chiefs at 10.5 wins this season. I’ll take the under, slightly.
Las Vegas Raiders
(3-14 in 2025)
Headline: Pairing Fernando Mendoza with Klint Kubiak. Teams rarely add both the most coveted rookie quarterback and offensive coach in the same offseason, which Las Vegas did with Heisman-winning Mendoza and Kubiak, the Super Bowl-winning OC. Expect returns to be limited in Year 1, as projected starter Kirk Cousins is outplaying Mendoza in camp and could hang onto the job longer than expected.
Subtle: Improved offensive line. The Raiders line was awful in 2025. It allowed the most sacks (64) and had the league’s worst rushing success rate. Problems compounded: Talent was lacking, Pete Carroll’s son Brennan was an ineffective coach and injuries cost left tackle Kolton Miller 13 games. Carroll is gone, Miller is healthy and new center Tyler Linderbaum is among the league’s best. Arrow up.
Question: Which receiver emerges? They added former Vikings WR3 Jalen Nailor and drafted impressive rookie Malik Benson in the sixth round to compete with uncumbents Tre Tucker, Jack Bech and Dont’e Thornton Jr. It’s more likely that Brock Bowers plays the Jaxon Smith-Njigba role in Kubiak’s offense.
Projection: 6-11. Optimism is high in Las Vegas. Again. Pete Carroll and Chip Kelly weren’t up to the task of overachieving with the league’s weakest roster. The Raiders gave $308 million worth of contracts to free agents to give Kubiak a much better shot this year. BetMGM has their win total at 5.5. I’ll take the over.
Extra Points
🎤 “Fighting demons.” Dre Greenlaw dishes on his short, unhappy stint with the Broncos.
🧀 Packers reset. Jourdan Rodrigue shared what she heard, saw and learned in Green Bay. It’ll have you keen to visit Lambeau.
📊 Fantasy top 300. Jake Ciely’s rankings are live, with Eagles rookie receiver Makai Lemon someone he’s sure to draft. Take heed.
💰 Zay Flowers (over)paid? The Ravens made the 25-year-old the league’s fourth-highest-paid receiver, with an average of $35 million per year. Wow.
▶️ Most-clicked: Mike Sando’s 2026 QB Tiers, which rank Shedeur Sanders last among 35 quarterbacks.
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