Heading into 2026, the Los Angeles Chargers have an uphill battle toward claiming their first AFC West title since 2009.
Even with a promising new offensive structure under Mike McDaniel and a bevy of new playmakers on either side of the ball, their difficult schedule and the sheer talent of their division will present clear obstacles in their path toward clearing the 11-win threshold they set last season, let alone toppling the Denver Broncos in the standings.
Bleacher Report's latest NFL power rankings, drawn up by Gary Davenport, reflect this sentiment clearly. While Los Angeles is ranked 11th, the Broncos are ranked third— only trailing the Seattle Seahawks and the Los Angeles Rams as the best teams in the NFL.
This ranking is fair, and it'll be hard to project the Chargers in the top-10 before they prove what they can do with McDaniel at the helm of the offense. But they're also misleading— at least in the sense that the gap between Los Angeles and Denver might ultimately be much narrower than you think.
The Chargers have a path to toppling the Denver Broncos for the AFC West title in 2026
Of course, for this to even become a possibility, the Chargers need their offense to approach its ceiling under McDaniel. While he has the scheme and the tools to leverage Herbert's quick processing abilities and downfield accuracy, the rest of Los Angeles' playmakers will need to acclimate as well.
McDaniel's scheme is dependent upon explosiveness and YAC opportunities, and players like Omarion Hampton and Ladd McConkey will need to provide those in order for the offensive attack to fully come together.
If we're ranking teams purely based on their ceilings, it would make sense to put the Chargers in the 6-8 range. By the same standard, it's more than fair to put the Broncos as the NFL's third-best team.
Their defense was absolutely formidable last season, stifling opponents with their blitz and man coverage-heavy attack, and most of the key playmakers from that unit are still intact. Add in the addition of Jaylen Waddle, who can provide a massive downfield threat to Bo Nix and the rest of the Denver offense, and that looks like a recipe for success.
But the Broncos also won a whopping eight games last season by just one score. For a team that operates on that thin of a margin, things can flip pretty quickly, especially considering the opponents that both Los Angeles and Denver will need to face in 2026.
It's also important to note that the Chargers, even with a new defensive coordinator in the fold, have the potential to post a top-five defensive showing in 2026. If they're able to do that while maintaining a viable offensive attack, there's no reason to believe they can't be as dangerous as the Broncos by the team the regular season comes to an end.
The Kansas City Chiefs are a consideration here, too. But until we see a major offensive resurgence from them, this is essentially a two-horse race. And if the Chargers can put things together on both sides of the ball by the time they reach their Week 7 bye, there's enough volatility on Denver's part to create an opening in the battle for the AFC West title.
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