AFC West 1st Place Is Same Old Story

By Dan Salem

Posted on July 10, 2026

Three teams are legitimately great enough to win the AFC West, but we know better. Its the same old story, because the Denver Broncos remain on top.

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As NFL minicamps get under way and the preseason inches closer, there are tons of stories around the league to monitor. From position battles to new coaching regimes to rookies in important spots, a laundry list of questions will find data in these next couple months before Week 1. They all will go toward answering the ultimate, overarching question: who is going to win.

To preview the 2026 season, we are going to go division-by-division and answering just one question about how that division is going to shake out. Next up is the AFC West. The question is: Who is going to finish in first place?

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If the AFC’s only two-team race for first is in the East, the West may have them beat with a bona fide three-team race for division champ. We figure Las Vegas is going to finish last. The Raiders have made big moves this offseason (Fernando Mendoza, Tyler Linderbaum, Klint Kubiak) but haven’t done enough to push themselves into the conversation in one of the toughest divisions in the sport.

All three of the other teams here could be behemoths. The Denver Broncos are elite in both trenches, have skill players, and a top-level coach. They may have the best roster, top to bottom, in the entire NFL. The only question is their quarterback. The Los Angeles Chargers have tried to build up both lines, have elite coaching and quarterback play. The only questions are around staying healthy and finding consistency on defense. And then there are the Kansas City Chiefs.

AFC West Battle for 1st Place

Todd Salem: Denver is a Behemoth

Kansas City lagged behind both Denver and LA in 2025 and would seem to trail in roster talent again in 2026. They don’t have elite pass catchers anymore, nor a top-tier offensive line. What they do have is Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid. Except, even those are now question marks with Mahomes coming off a knee injury and people beginning to question whether Reid is still among the coaching elites.

Those were very quick summations of some of the most talented teams in the league, but it helps to outline the West division. Digging deeper, I could see KC and Los Angeles flip-flopping from where each finished last year, but I don’t really see either one competing with the Broncos.

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This Denver team is loaded. They have the best offensive line in the entire sport. They just traded for Jaylen Waddle, giving them a Pro Bowl receiver to pair with Pro Bowl receiver Courtland Sutton. They have a talented running back room. On defense, the front seven is one of the best. Pat Surtain is the best cover corner in the NFL. On the sidelines, Sean Payton is unlikable for outside fan bases, but he has proven he remains one of the game’s ultimate head coaches.

The only argument against Denver would seem to come back to the now-outdated adage that you need an elite QB to win. As weird as it sounds, that is no longer the case! I’m not trying to argue that Bo Nix is a great QB; he’s…fine. Instead, I don’t think it matters that he’s only just okay.

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What the Broncos, and Seattle, Philadelphia, Jacksonville, Detroit, Minnesota, and San Francisco have proven this last half decade is that mid QBs no longer hold a team hostage. Rosters and coaches can lift up that quarterback rather than having him bring them down. Sure, it takes a great roster and it takes a great coach, but it is no longer impossible.

I think Denver ends up running it back for back-to-back division titles thanks to scheming and talent and play-calling and everything else around Nix. Nix is fine, and fine is just fine in the current NFL.

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Dan Salem: Broncos Or Bust

Ooof, I really don’t like Denver and it’s hard to admit they will be great once again. But Sean Payton is great and he has a great roster, even if Bo Nix is simply average. The Broncos are going to lead the pack, but I’m not convinced they can stay ahead of the Los Angeles Chargers.

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Los Angeles also has a great coach in Jim Harbaugh, along with a great quarterback and a very good roster. Justin Herbert has work to do in the playoffs, but his ability to elevate his team during the regular season is undeniable. What the AFC West will come down to is Denver’s defense versus the Chargers’ offense, because these are each team’s best units.

The Broncos have a better defense than Los Angeles, but the Chargers have a better offense. Will their ability to score more points outweigh Denver’s ability to stop teams from scoring? My heart says yes, but my head says no. These are both playoff teams, but the Broncos end with one or two more wins and finish in first place.

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I must mention the Chiefs, because they are too dynamic to ignore. Kansas City is going to rebound and make the playoffs, but they are not complete enough to win the division. Until I see better defense and a better running game from them, I can’t put the Chiefs ahead of anyone else with proven rosters. Los Angeles will push Denver until the end, but fall just short of a division title. That said, we could see a very different story in the playoffs this year. It’s going to be fun!

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Meet our Sports Writers:

Dan Salem is Lead Editor and Co-owner of BuzzChomp. He’s an award winning Actor, Director and Producer. Visit M Square Productions for his film work, or get lost in his old-school comedy on Pillow Talk TV. You can follow him on X, TikTok and Instagram. His latest film ‘Alone’ is now on Amazon.

Todd Salem is a Staff Writer and Contributing Editor at BuzzChomp. He’s also a champion of fantasy football and fantasy baseball, dominating leagues for over two decades. Comment below on his unfiltered opinions.

AFC West Preview – This Is The End

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