The Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos played incredibly similar 2024 seasons. The primary difference between the two was a Chargers come-from-behind win over the Broncos on Thursday Night Football in week 14, giving the Chargers a one-game edge over Denver in the standings, which is how the two teams would finish.
After an 11-6 season, the Chargers were once again an embarrassing first-round exit to the Houston Texans, a team the Chargers finished with a better record than. Once again, questions in Los Angeles surround whether or not the Chargers can get over the hump and become a legitimate contender. Other various storylines follow the Chargers this spring, and they once again seek to be more of a Chiefs threat than a Broncos equal.
Can the Broncos close the gap on the Chargers in 2025?
Major Storylines
The Chargers once again failed in the playoffs. They have made the playoffs now two of the last three years, and have laid major duds both years. Several important Chargers are pending free agents, including future Hall of Famer Khalil Mack. If Mack is set to leave the Chargers, he could be a fit in Denver with the Broncos, a move surprising enough that it would send shockwaves through the entire AFC West.
Beyond Mack, starting center Bradley Bozeman, corners Elijah Molden and Kristian Fulton are set to hit the market as well. Other important pieces such as JK Dobbins, Josh Palmer, Poona Ford, and Morgan Fox are set to be free agents. The Broncos could find themselves in the market for any number of these options, which could severely hurt the Chargers' chances in the division next year. Dobbins, specifically, could bring an element of stability and playmaking to the Denver backfield that was missing this year.
The major issue in Los Angeles, however, is the Chargers' inability to get over the hump with Justin Herbert. The former first-round selection will be entering his sixth NFL season with no playoff wins to show for it, and two incredibly embarrassing losses on his record. Herbert is no doubt an incredible quarterback, but the goal in this league is to win playoff games, something he has not done. His debacle of a playoff performance might even slide him to the third-best quarterback in the AFC West, behind Bo Nix.
If the Chargers go another season without winning in the playoffs, there is every reason to believe that the Broncos could be the true second team in the AFC West, with the Chargers falling to third place.