The future for the AFC West looks like the Kansas City Chiefs are the team to beat but that may not be the landscape in just a few short years. The AFC West has been a competitive division in football for years. The Denver Broncos and the Oakland Raiders both look like with a few more pieces and tweaks they have the potential to give the Chiefs a run for their money as the top dog in the division. Whereas on the other hand, the Los Angeles Chargers seem to be wandering into a black hole of irrelevance.
What Lies Ahead for the AFC West
Kansas City Chiefs
Coming off of their Super Bowl Championship the Chiefs return 20 of their 22 starters and look to be in prime fashion to possibly repeat as Super Bowl Champs. But then in the 2021 offseason they are going to have to pay Patrick Mahomes an UNBELIEVABLE amount of money which will hurt their team in the future because then there won’t be enough money to go around for the rest of their elite players. They will need to somehow manage to put together enough money to resign Chris Jones, Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce, and many more players within the next few seasons. The Chiefs have the potential to start a dynasty if they can keep all their star players under contract for years to come.
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos have practically cleaned house since the 2016 Super Bowl team. The only remaining players from that team that are still on their roster are Von Miller and Todd Davis. Drew Lock looks like he has the potential to be a franchise quarterback but has only played five regular-season games so this season is a huge one for him and the entire organization. The Broncos defense played well last year and with Bryce Callahan and Bradley Chubb returning from injury they look to build upon their success from 2019. They also added Jurrell Casey and Melvin Gordon in free agency, and both will be big contributors for Denver in 2020. The Broncos are an under-the-radar team in 2020 but if Drew Lock emerges into a star they could be a problem for opposing teams for years to come.
Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders found an excellent running back in Josh Jacobs. He looks like a promising young player that could be a pro bowler for years to come. Their defensive line has some great young talent with players like Maxx Crosby and Clelin Ferrell. But the rest of the defense has some average veteran starters. They also need help at wide receiver and most importantly quarterback. Derek Carr has been one of the most inconsistent quarterbacks during his tenure in the NFL. He doesn’t seem to be an elite quarterback but worse quarterbacks then him have made it to Super Bowls with a great defense and a good running game. The Raiders are stuck in limbo right now with the question mark that is Derek Carr.
Los Angeles Chargers
The chargers have officially moved to Los Angeles and changed their jerseys. They also moved on from their franchise quarterback Philip Rivers and from their starting running back Melvin Gordon. Looks like a fresh start for the entire organization and, like most new beginnings, it will take a while before they become competitive again. Their defense looks to be good with one of the best secondaries in the NFL but on the offensive side of the ball, there are some big question marks for this team. The biggest being the quarterback position, as of right now Tyrod Taylor is the starter but he definitely isn’t the answer so they will most likely draft a quarterback in this year’s draft or next. The chargers seem to be an 0-3 start from a full rebuild.
