This should be the year for the Los Angeles Chargers. With a re-shaped roster and a new offensive coordinator in Mike McDaniel, they should be able to maximize the talent of Justin Herbert, providing him with the protection and the offensive weapons he needs to make this team one of the most dangerous in the NFL.
If it all comes together, they could very quickly enter Super Bowl contention in 2026.
But they'll face an uphill battle coming out of the AFC West. The Kansas City Chiefs have made a number of moves to revitalize their offense. The Denver Broncos retained almost the entirety of their core from their impressive campaign a year ago. Even the Las Vegas Raiders, in spite of their struggles, have taken strides toward competitiveness.
With the 2026 NFL Schedule releasing on Thursday, we don't currently know when these teams will play each other or how the rest of the slate will fill out. But we do know each of these team's opponents, and we know that three of the AFC West's four teams are in the top-five in total strength of schedule. The Broncos, for their part, are 11th.
Before the full schedule is released, take a look at each team's strength of schedule for 2026. 👀
— NFL (@NFL) May 11, 2026
📺: NFL Schedule Release - Thursday at 8pm ET on ESPN/NFLN pic.twitter.com/eChBp3QMVa
With each of these teams vying for better records than they put up a year ago, quite a bit hinges on how the schedules break. The AFC West race, therefore, will officially start to heat up well before the season begins.
Chargers must hope for a favorable schedule in spite of brutal strength of schedule numbers
Out of these four teams, none has more to prove than the Chargers do in 2026. They've failed to earn a playoff win with Justin Herbert at the helm. Although their abysmal performance against the New England Patriots can somewhat be excused by the injuries they faced along their offensive line, it's clear that the status quo will no longer be sufficient.
With the fifth-hardest schedule in the NFL, Los Angeles must hope that some of their easier games, such as those against the Raiders, New York Jets, and Arizona Cardinals, are spread out throughout the season to provide them some reprieve.
The Chiefs and Broncos are set for similar battles, though. Kansas City will have the most difficult schedule in the NFL, including road games against the Buffalo Bills, Seattle Seahawks, and Los Angeles Rams. Although it seems Patrick Mahomes is trending toward a Week 1 return, their bounce-back efforts will face stiff competition from the very beginning.
The Broncos get the benefit of hosting many of their toughest opponents at home, but they'll have their work cut out for them in repeating the dominance they found down the stretch of last season.
Even the Raiders, who had the worst record in football last season, will face a difficult schedule, with the same matchups against the AFC East and NFC West that the rest of the division must take on.
The AFC West has the potential to be perhaps the most competitive division in the NFL in 2026, and the Chargers' chances at taking the crown will start to take shape with the schedule release. With the bulk of most rosters already essentially set, it's officially time to start thinking about Los Angeles' path to divisional dominance this season.
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