Not only is finding the right quarterback the hardest thing to do in professional sports, but finding the right head coach is up there as well. Back in 2023, the Denver Broncos made a bold move to trade for Sean Payton, who was still under contract with the New Orleans Saints.
After a massively failed season with Nathaniel Hackett as the head coach, General Manager George Paton seemed to realize that things actually needed to change. After an up-and-down, but largely successful 2023 season, the Broncos broke out in both 2024 and 2025, and it really could not be clearer that Payton was the right move for this team.
But that also got us thinking - where does Payton stand in the AFC West among all head coaches? Let's power-rank the four head coaches here.
Ranking the four AFC West head coaches from worst to best for the 2026 NFL Season
4, Klint Kubiak, Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders have another head coach in Klint Kubiak. The son of Broncos Super Bowl winning head coach Gary Kubiak, the young Kubiak recently enjoyed a Super Bowl-winning season as the Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator.
And he's now set to take on the challenge of being the Raiders head coach. The last time the Raiders had a head coach remain on the job for at least five years in a row was all the way back in the 1990-1994 seasons with Art Shell.
Kubiak's odds are against him, but he may get a legitimate chance to try and develop Fernando Mendoza, the team's rookie quarterback. Until proven otherwise, Kubiak will take the last spot in our AFC West head coach rankings.
3. Jim Harbaugh, Los Angeles Chargers
In his six total years as a head coach in the NFL, Jim Harbaugh has finished with five double-digit winning seasons and one year with eight wins, so he's never finished with a losing record in his head coaching career. He also has a 5-5 playoff record with a Super Bowl appearance.
Now with the Los Angeles Chargers, Harbaugh has seen his team go 11-6 in each season, with a blowout Wild Card Round loss also being the case in both years. Los Angeles has, for the time being, hit an obvious ceiling in the newer Harbaugh/Justin Herbert era. They've simply been good and nothing more.
2. Sean Payton, Denver Broncos
Payton has 18 total seasons of head coaching experience, and three with the Broncos. Now entering year four, Payton has amassed a 24-10 regular season record over the past two seasons. and a 32-19 record overall, which is still good for a .627 winning percentage. Had quarterback Bo Nix not broken his ankle in the AFC Divisional Round win against the Buffalo Bills, the Broncos may have also won the Super Bowl.
For years now, Payton has been an elite head coach, so for the time being, nothing has really changed. With Payton also handing off play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Davis Webb, there is now more reason to believe that Payton just extended his coaching career by a few seasons.
1. Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs
One of the three or five best head coaches of all-time, Andy Reid comes in at No. 1 in our AFC West coaching rankings. A three-time Super Bowl champion with the Kansas City Chiefs, Reid did have a very successful stint with the Philadelphia Eagles, but it's clear that the Chiefs' decision to draft Patrick Mahomes back in 2017 has added another level to Reid's coaching career.
He's an all-time great and could retire tomorrow and be looked at as a slam-dunk Hall of Famer. There really isn't anything he hasn't done up to this point.
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