AFC West is ULTIMATE Juggernaut in 2025

By Dan Salem

Posted on July 30, 2025

All WINNING teams in the AFC West, but someone will be in last and multiple teams will make the playoffs. This is ULTIMATE juggernaut in the NFL 2025.

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Most NFL divisions are balanced, with a good team, a bad team and two competitive up and comers. Some are top heavy, while others are chock full of dump at the bottom. Where does your favorite division fall in 2025? We answer the most interesting questions about each division heading into the new season.

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Which team(s) has quarterback issues? What coach is on the hot seat, or is there more than one? Who’s the division favorite? How about a dark horse to take the title? Who will be in last place? Finally, the real question and the only one that matters. How many Super Bowl contenders does your division have? We enter the AFC West, the ULTIMATE juggernaut of a division.

NFC Division Previews: NFC East, NFC North, NFC South, NFC West
AFC Division Previews: AFC East, AFC North, AFC South, AFC West

AFC West 2025 Preview

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Quarterback Battles:

Kansas City/Los Angeles/Denver/Las Vegas – None
Todd Salem – The four teams in this division all have entrenched starting quarterbacks, even though they run the situational gamut. Denver has the second-year guy coming off a really solid rookie season; KC duh; Vegas acquired the veteran passer this offseason; LAC has an All-Pro. No one is at risk of losing their job.

Dan Salem – You could talk me into a QB battle in Denver if Bo Nix struggles for a month, but entering the season there is no battle and no question to be asked. This is the only division in football without at least one question at quarterback. Quite amazing, but considering Mahomes is here, it should be little surprise that his primary competition has also secured the most important position on the field, his position.

Hot Seat Coach:

Kansas City/Los Angeles/Denver/Las Vegas – None
Todd Salem: Rinse and repeat from the QB battles section. Some of these coaches are relatively new to their surroundings, one is brand new, one is a long-tenured champion. All are potential future Hall of Famers. No one is looking over their shoulder any time soon.

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Dan Salem: These jobs are safer than safe. Las Vegas may be known to have a short leash, but I can pretty much guarantee that Pete Carrol has a long one. He’s too celebrated of a coach, which leaves zero questions on the sidelines for the AFC West this season.

Division Favorite:

Kansas City Chiefs – Todd Salem: This looks to be a really strong division in 2025 thanks to the solid ground all these teams are on at QB and coach, but it is impossible to feel confident in someone beating the Chiefs until Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid are gone. Outside of the dynamic duo, the Chiefs are really good as well. There are concerns at offensive tackle and with injury history at the skill positions, but otherwise this roster has no clear weaknesses.

Kansas City Chiefs – Dan Salem: Until proven otherwise, am I right? There’s a lot to like about the progress of both the Broncos and Chargers, but not enough to warrant a rash decision when it comes to the favorite. No one is better than the Chiefs, maybe in the entire AFC, but certainly in the West.

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Dark Horse:

Denver Broncos (Todd Salem) – The Broncos have an elite head coach, stupendous defense, and great offensive line. Those are three unimpeachable building blocks to making a contender. What makes them a dark horse is they lack the piece of a roster most casual fans are familiar with: top-tier offensive skill players.

The quarterback was good as a rookie but lacks a high ceiling to improve. Courtland Sutton is a solid receiver; no one else is even at that level. Same goes for the newly acquired Evan Engram and J.K. Dobbins at tight end and running back, respectively. Unless rookie R.J. Harvey breaks out into a star in year one, this offense is very blah. That will keep this team off most people’s radars but not out of the discussion as being a potential division winner.

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Los Angeles Chargers (Dan Salem) – I see your Broncos and raise you the Chargers. Los Angeles also has a very good defense and outstanding quarterback play. They too lack offensive playmakers, but have enough potential in that regard to be my dark horse. Personally both Denver and Los Angeles feel much like the same team, so I’m going with the stronger QB. Justin Herbert is great, so his team is the true dark horse.

Last Place Team:

Las Vegas Raiders (Todd Salem) – How could a team with bonafide young stars be a last-place finisher? Well, look at the other teams in this division. Who are the Raiders better than? The difference is in the details. The defense is lacking outside of Maxx Crosby. Geno Smith is a good QB but still might be the worst in this division. The wide receiver group and offensive line are very thin. It is fun to imagine what Pete Carroll and Chip Kelly will be able to do with Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty, but Bowers was a star as a rookie last year, and the team still finished in last by a mile. Competent QB play will close the gap but not by enough.

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Las Vegas Raiders (Dan Salem) – Someone has to be last and it could be the Broncos, but it’s more likely the Raiders. Denver’s defense is simply too good, plus they have one year of continuity to build off of. Las Vegas is starting fresh at coach and QB, meaning some growing pains are possible despite their familiarity with one another. I can see the Raiders teetering just below .500 with 7 or 8 wins and still being in last place.

Number of Super Bowl Contenders:

One – Todd Salem: The Chiefs are the only obvious contender. I could imagine a scenario where Denver gets to a Super Bowl if Bo Nix takes a massive leap in year two, but his whole ‘deal’ is that he probably doesn’t have a leap in him. He was an old prospect with a high floor and nothing else. That keeps the Broncos out of this discussion to me. A healthy Chiefs team, though, is very much in the discussion for Super Bowl champion.

One – Dan Salem: There remains only one. Kansas City has proven they can overcome any holes on the roster, or perceived deficiencies. Every other team has at least one sizable hole and zero track record of closing it, or overcoming said weakness. The Chiefs were playing for a three-peat championship last year, so it’s safe to assume they will be right there once again.

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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.

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