The Ascension of the AFC West
For nearly a decade, the Kansas City Chiefs have ruled the AFC West division. Andy Reid has ripped nine straight years of AFC West titles and multiple Super Bowl wins during that span. Patrick Mahomes has cemented himself as one of the best NFL players ever, and Travis Kelce has sustained excellent play for a long time. However, a change in AFC West dominance could be coming as the other teams in the division have certainly upgraded.
Just from last season, the AFC West saw three teams represent the division in the playoffs. The Chiefs, after winning the division, also clinched the first seed in the AFC. In the Wild Card spots, the AFC West saw two teams take three possible spots. The Los Angeles Chargers under Jim Harbaugh’s first season saw a huge improvement from 2023 and made the playoffs as the fifth seed. While the Denver Broncos under Sean Payton and Bo Nix made a surprising return to the playoffs as the seventh and final seed, snapping a eight year drought. The Chargers and Broncos both had impressive off-seasons, making big moves that filled massive holes. The Bolts added two solid running backs in Najee Harris and Omarion Hampton as they look to improve their run game and fulfill the tough identity they are looking to be. Also on the offensive end, the Chargers added a mammoth at offensive guard in Mekhi Becton and at wide receiver with Tre Harris from the draft. The Broncos absolutely smashed the offseason. In free agency, they added Evan Engram, Dre Greenlaw, and Talanoa Hufanga. All three of these players are expected to be immediate, impactful players in the Broncos’ chase for the division. In the draft, they added to one of the best cornerback rooms in the league with Jahdae Barron and improved their running back room with RJ Harvey.
The Chargers and Broncos seem to be immediate threats to the Chiefs in the AFC West. However, the Las Vegas Raiders made drastic changes to their roster and coaching staff. They hired longtime Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll and traded for Geno Smith to be their quarterback. In the draft, they selected arguably the best running back prospect in some time, Ashton Jeanty. They improved on defense with some promising late-round picks in Darien Porter and JJ Pegues. The Raiders are going to be much better than what they were, and could be a surprise team in the division.
The Chiefs being overtaken in the AFC West is surely possible. Every year, the other three teams have seemed to get better, and it has shown in their matchups versus the Chiefs. Will this be the year the AFC West crowns a new king? Only time will tell, but this division is surely becoming one of the best in the whole NFL.
