By all means, the Los Angeles Chargers should be among the teams poised for a major leap in 2026. Although they finished this season with 11 wins and a Wild Card berth, there was obviously room for major growth.
Their offense lacked the pass protection and the schematic dynamism to make them truly dangerous, and a fine-tuning of their defense was required.
But with two new coordinators and over $82 million in cap space to play with this offseason, the right series of moves could make them seriously competitive. If their division doesn't suddenly become the best in the NFL, that is.
According to Jared Dubin at CBS Sports, there are two teams in the AFC West, the Las Vegas Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs, that are poised to take a major leap in 2026. Of course, the disrespect to Los Angeles is palpable.
But the more concerning part is what could truly happen if Dubin's predictions come true.
The Chargers were snubbed, but Chiefs and Raiders fans should be ecstatic
It's understandable why the Chargers were left off this list after their nominal success in 2025. But let's be realistic. With the way the team performed this season, a move into serious Super Bowl contention would be a massive leap.
With the return of Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater coupled with a re-tooling of the interior of their offensive line, Justin Herbert should have the time and the schematic fit he needs to make winning plays. Defensive coordinator Chris O'Leary, meanwhile, should be able to continue Jesse Minter's scheme as effectively as could be desired.
But there's still a long way to go for Los Angeles.
What's concerning is that Dubin's cases for the Raiders and the Chiefs to take that leap are almost as realistic.
Kansas City's case is obvious. They have the best quarterback in the league in Patrick Mahomes and a legendary coach in Andy Reid. If they're able to effectively re-tool both sides of the ball this offseason, it wouldn't be surprising in the least if they were one of the NFL's premier teams in 2026.
Las Vegas, meanwhile, has a little bit more of a long-shot route to competitiveness. But they're bringing in a dynamic offensive playcaller in Klint Kubiak who should be able to maximize their probable new quarterback in Fernando Mendoza along with their primary offensive weapons in Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty.
The Raiders likely won't enter Super Bowl contention in 2026, but a leap for them could make the whole AFC West more competitive.
In the end, it's still the Chargers who have the most reason for hope heading into the 2026 season. But Dubin's predictions are truly reasonable, and they are therefore cause for major concern.