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1. Denver Broncos (2025 Record: 14-3)
Sean Payton is still a good football coach and isn’t the product of a Hall of Fame quarterback. That claim about him can stop. 2025 was the best I’ve seen the Denver Broncos look since 2015, when they won Super Bowl 50. After a 1-2 start, they reeled off 11 consecutive victories en route to their first division title, 14 wins, which tied a franchise record, and the top seed in the AFC playoffs. What made me pay more attention to the Broncos was their victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in Philly, of all places, which can be a tough place to play. They also defeated the Chiefs, meaning they beat both Super Bowl participants from the previous season. I really think they would’ve won the AFC title if Bo Nix hadn’t gotten hurt. This offseason, Denver made a splash by acquiring Jaylen Waddle from the Miami Dolphins to give their quarterback another weapon.
2. Los Angeles Chargers (2025 Record: 11-6)
Early on, they appeared to have it together and looked to be trending in the right direction. Justin Herbert was playing the best football I’ve seen from him since he became a pro, and the defense was one of the best in the league. Despite all the injuries along the offensive line, Herbert remained the engine of the offense. I also remember saying that the Chargers were finally taking after Jim Harbaugh with that physical style of football. In other words, this was a good football team because they combined elite quarterback play with quality coaching and consistent efforts from the defense. Since Jim Harbaugh became the head coach, the Chargers have made the playoffs every season but have yet to win a playoff game. What they’ve done in the regular season is fine and all, but they need to do it when it matters most, which is in January. In April, the team drafted Ahkeem Mesidor from Miami to add to that defense.
3. Kansas City Chiefs (2025 Record: 6-11)
You always expect them to be one of the best teams in the league, but that simply wasn’t the case in 2025. This was by far the worst they’ve looked during the Patrick Mahomes era. I often discussed how they were skating by in 2024, and it eventually caught up to them in their Super Bowl loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. The defense was far from the problem in Kansas City a year ago. The issue was the offense, which was too inconsistent for my liking, and many of their losses were because of it. What made everything worse for the Chiefs was losing Patrick Mahomes to a torn ACL while they were still in the playoff hunt. The Chiefs missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2014 season. I loved the move they made to acquire Kenneth Walker III in free agency, and he should work out just fine if they commit to running the football. The million-dollar question is: Will Patrick Mahomes be ready for the start of the season?
4. Las Vegas Raiders (2025 Record: 3-14)
It was just flat-out ugly for the Silver and Black last year. They struggled to do much of anything, and the only bright spot on this football team was Maxx Crosby. I’ve often said that what Myles Garrett was to the Cleveland Browns all those years is what Maxx Crosby is to the Raiders. Even when the Raiders tried trading him to the Baltimore Ravens, the deal fell through because of a failed physical, and he ended up right back with the team. This year, the Raiders enter with a new head coach and quarterback. They were able to land one of the top coaching candidates in Klint Kubiak, and with the first overall pick in the draft, they selected Fernando Mendoza, which many people expected from the start. Again, build around the quarterback, and the success will come.
2026 Predictions
- Broncos (12-5)
- Chargers (11-6)
- Chiefs (9-8)
- Raiders (5-12)
I can legitimately make a case for three of the four teams in this division. The Chargers may have the most complete roster on paper, the Broncos ran away with the division last year, and the Chiefs should have Patrick Mahomes back and healthy. I’m picking the Broncos to win the division once again. I liked the move to acquire Waddle because he gives this offense more explosiveness. The defense is the best in the division, and Bo Nix looked like a legitimate franchise quarterback. I don’t think they’ll be as good record-wise as they were a season ago, but I do think they’ll remain atop the division for a second consecutive season.
