Chiefs just gave the Broncos every reason to go all-in on 2026 offseason

The Kansas City Chiefs just gave the Denver Broncos every reason to go all-in on the 2026 offseason.

The Chiefs are reportedly set to trade star cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams for a haul of draft picks, the latest (and perhaps clearest) indicator yet that Kansas City is tearing it down and rebuilding.

Patrick Mahomes is working his way back from a major knee injury. Travis Kelce, even though he's expected back with the Chiefs, is an unrestricted free agent. The Chiefs are cutting their starting right tackle (Jawaan Taylor) despite offensive line issues the past couple of seasons. They haven't drafted well. They are set to potentially lose players like Leo Chenal and Bryan Cook in free agency. The Chiefs' short and long-term situation should be the signal telling the Broncos to go for it immediately.

Broncos need to be aggressive in 2026 offseason with Chiefs tearing it down

The Chiefs will now be picking one spot ahead of the Broncos in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, assuming the Broncos stay with that 30th overall pick. They've acquired the 29th overall pick (and then some) from the LA Rams for Trent McDuffie, one of their best defensive players for the last handful of seasons.

Kansas City has made it a habit of not really keeping their defensive backs around on second contracts, but McDuffie felt like a different type of player. The reality is, the Chiefs kicked the proverbial can down the road one too many times, and it's costing them a great player on their roster.

The NFL Draft is a crapshoot. While having more darts isn't a bad thing, it's anything but a sure thing. The Chiefs had a sure thing in McDuffie, and now he's gone for parts.

It's not all bad business for Kansas City, but their situation should give the Broncos every reason to be as aggressive as possible this offseason.

The Broncos have made plenty of big moves in recent years, so it's not like they always sit on their hands, but they have been toeing the line between "selectively aggressive" and frugal. There is a big difference between those two approaches.

General manager George Paton likes to use the term "measured" when discussing how they want to build the roster, and that's a respectable approach. But what the Broncos need right now is a 2014 approach. They need to go after free agency this year the same way they did back in 2014 when they signed DeMarcus Ware, Aqib Talib, Emmanuel Sanders, and TJ Ward.

They recognized they were in a Super Bowl window, and they went for it. That's what the Rams are doing with this very trade involving McDuffie. They are addressing their biggest need, and doing it on the heels of an offseason in which they went out and signed Davante Adams to upgrade their receiver room.

When is the last time the Broncos made such a substantial move to upgrade their roster with a player who didn't come with the caveat of injury concerns? Russell Wilson?

If the Broncos are prepared for an offseason of "almost" or finishing "second" in the bidding for certain players, then they'll have missed a golden opportunity.

The Raiders are in the early stages of a full-scale rebuild. The Chiefs are doing the same, and with Patrick Mahomes coming off of a devastating injury. The Chargers have a ton of cap space, but lost their best coordinator and are weak in the trenches on both sides of the ball.

You have to strike when the iron is hot, and it's white-hot right now.