For the first time in a decade, and after a nine-year reign by the Kansas City Chiefs, the Denver Broncos won the AFC West thanks to a 14-3 regular season that also featured an 11-game winning streak. Had Bo Nix not broken his ankle in the Divisional Round, who knows what we're talking about right now?
Well, just because Denver was successful in 2025, doesn't mean the same success will come in 2026. The AFC West does have two other very capable teams in the Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers, and even the Las Vegas Raiders might be on an upward trend right now.
In fact, the Broncos would honestly be a bit devastated if their AFC West rivals made these three moves in the offseason.
These three moves would totally devastate the Denver Broncos in 2026
Kansas City Chiefs - Drafting Jeremiyah Love at pick 9 in the 2026 NFL Draft
The Chiefs have the ninth overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, and it's not a guarantee what they or any other team will do, likely beyond the first overall pick. Well, at pick nine, the Chiefs may have a chance to draft Jeremiyah Love, the top running back prospect in the NFL Draft. Lance Zierlein's NFL.com draft profile on Love is honestly a bit scary, knowing he could end up on the Chiefs.
Three-phase running back capable of stressing defenses with big-play speed and untapped pass-catching value. Love shared carries but was the heartbeat of Notre Dame’s offense over the last two years.
He runs with a fierce tempo and processes the front with adequate eyes to find entry points and burst through them. Urgency works in his favor, but he’ll occasionally miss open lanes when he gets too deep too quickly. Outstanding speed erases pursuit angles to the corner and helps him pull away from tacklers once he opens his gait.
He’s live-legged with violent cuts in segmented bursts that can elude tacklers but slow his momentum. He’s not a pile-mover but he runs through contact and squeezes out extra yards as a committed finisher.
He’s a talented route runner and pass catcher who can work from the slot and mismatch linebackers. Love is a three-down, scheme-independent player who would benefit from a complementary back to preserve his big-play ability.
Zierlein also compares him to Jahmyr Gibbs, so the Chiefs giving Patrick Mahomes that caliber of player would return that offense to the elite tier it was very early on in Mahomes' career. The Chiefs have truly struggled to field a competent rushing attack in recent years, and adding Love to the mix would make that offense a handful, even for the Broncos top defense.
Los Angeles Chargers - Signing Tyler Linderbaum and Braden Smith to shore up the offensive line
The Chargers have some obvious needs along the offensive line this coming offseason and have the cap space to fill those needs. With Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater both missing significant time in 2025, the Chargers already shaky offensive line totally cratered, but there is a chance that Alt and Slater are back for Week 1.
The Chargers will go big fish hunting in free agency this offseason and could splurge on Tyler Linderbaum and Braden Smith, two of the top free agents along the offensive line. To me, there is a world where Slater kicks inside to guard, and all of a sudden, the Chargers would boast an offensive line with a very strong tackle duo, the best center in the league, and a potentially sound guard duo with Slater and Zion Johnson, who could re-sign with the team.
Las Vegas Raiders - Drafting Fernando Mendoza (and the possibility that he's the guy)
Unless something insane happens, the Raiders will be drafting Fernando Mendoza in the 2026 NFL Draft, and the one thing that could devastate the Broncos here is if Mendoza ends up being 'the guy' for Vegas, perhaps immediately showing signs during his rookie season.
This would be devastating because not only would the Raiders immediately become a frisky team in 2026, but the long-term impacts would go against Denver, as Vegas is then all of a sudden a team that the Broncos can't just walk all over, like they have done over the past two seasons.
Mendoza seems like a solid, do-it-all type of quarterback prospect, and his potential ability in the NFL could end up being bad news for Denver.