Last season, the Los Angeles Chargers earned 11 wins in spite of the devastating injuries they faced across the roster. It was an impressive feat, but it wasn't enough to yield them an AFC West title. The Denver Broncos finished with 14 wins. It left the Chargers to facing off against the New England Patriots in the Wild Card Round, where they were handily defeated for the second year in a row.
Now, with a new offensive outlook and a reconstructed roster, they'll look to surpass that total. It will be an uphill battle. The entire AFC West has a difficult slate this season, but the Chargers' will be especially challenging. They'll get an early bye, and the series of games on either side of that reprieve will represent a gauntlet of sorts. If they can survive their early-season slate intact, though, they'll have a serious chance to challenge for the AFC West.
Senior NFL Writer Kevin Patra recently ranked the most vulnerable reigning division champs for NFL.com. He had the Broncos placed fourth, but what he pointed out about their roster shines a glaring spotlight on their vulnerabilities:
"Squads led by defenses tend to regress to the mean year over year. The Broncos won a whopping 11 games by one score in 2025, with several coming against opponents they should've walloped. With a tougher schedule, it’ll be harder to replicate that success. Denver needs more consistency from the offense in 2026. How will handing over play-calling duties to Davis Webb work out? It could become a talking point if the offense gets off to a slow start." Kevin Patra, NFL.com
The Denver Broncos will need a lot of luck to post the same record as 2025
Denver had a highly impressive 2025 campaign, featuring major steps forward both from quarterback Bo Nix and their roster as a whole. They finished 10th in total offense as they honed their scheme around Nix's limitations as a passer. But it was their defense that was truly impressive. They finished second in total defensive yards allowed, holding teams to a league-leading 4.8 net yards per passing attempt.
They didn't lose many major pieces this offseason outside of DL John Franklin-Myers. But as Patra points out, this is an aging roster without much depth. Combine that with the fact that they won 11 games by a single score in 2025, and there's room for things to break much differently for Denver in 2026.
There are also questions lingering around Nix's health after he suffered a season-ending ankle injury against the Buffalo Bills in last year's playoffs.
The Chargers, of course, will also need to contend with the Kansas City Chiefs for the division title. With a revamped offense and a projected Week 1 return for Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs should be back on their feet this season. But their secondary has also been almost entirely reconstructed, and there's a large gap between Kansas City's current floor and ceiling.
Los Angeles doesn't necessarily need the division title in 2026. If they can earn a Wild Card spot and enter the postseason with true Super Bowl aspirations, that would be an accomplishment in and of itself.
But the reality is that, even with the schedule the Chargers will face, the Broncos are vulnerable enough to see a path to winning the AFC West title for the first time since 2009.
Add us as a preferred source on Google