The LA Chargers are entering a new era in 2024 with Jim Harbaugh at head coach and Joe Hortiz as the general manager. With the dawn of this new era, the Chargers have operated in a different way this offseason, which will hopefully lead to better results moving forward.
It also helps that there have been some hilariously bad moves made by other teams in the AFC West. It is always nice to see a division rival make an ill-fated move that is most likely going to backfire. For many years, the Chargers were the team always making those moves.
However, there have also been savvy moves from the Chargers' AFC West foes that should worry the team. The ideal situation is for the Chargers' rivals to get worse, but in these cases, they got better.
3 moves from AFC West rivals that should terrify Chargers fans:
1. Chiefs signing Marquise Brown
The Kansas City Chiefs are coming off back-to-back Super Bowls and won both of those Super Bowls with a wide receiver room that was less than ideal. The best wide out on those two teams was Juju Smith-Schuster and the Chiefs just got someone who is even better than him.
Marquise Brown was such a savvy pick-up by the Kansas City Chiefs, who managed to sign him at an exceptional price. Brown signed a one-year deal with the Chiefs that is worth up to $11 million for the 2024 season. Considering Mike Williams got $15 million from the New York Jets, this was a great price.
Brown has legitimate WR1 potential, especially with a quarterback like Patrick Mahomes throwing him the ball. The former Raven and Cardinal will not be a top-tier WR1 but there is no denying that he can produce like a true franchise receiver for the Chiefs.
2. The Raiders signing Gardner Minshew
Chargers fans were definitely expecting this to be the Christian Wilkins signing but in fact, that is a move Chargers fans can laugh. Wilkins is undoubtedly the best player that the Raiders brought in this offseason but that does not make it a great signing.
It was a classic Tom Telesco move to overspend on a free agent whose best days are most likely behind him. Even if he plays at the same level, Wilkins is an elite run-stuffing defensive tackle who is not a great pass-rusher. To commit so much money to a run defend specialist, in 2024, is silly.
Instead, the move that should worry Chargers fans is the two-year signing of Gardner Minshew. This may seem a bit absurd to say out loud, but there is a reason. This might not be the most terrifying move, but it can have a negative impact on the Chargers in 2024.
The Raiders are essentially admitting that they will be okay not taking a quarterback in the first round if it is not someone who they like. Minshew was paid this much to be a bridge starter, and unless someone who the Raiders like falls, they probably will address another area.
This is bad for the Chargers as the best thing the Raiders could have done was reach for a quarterback like Bo Nix with the 13th pick. That would end up being a predictable disaster, and would result in another wasted first-round pick by Vegas.
Instead, the Raiders have a competent quarterback who nearly led the Indianapolis Colts to the playoffs last season. Minshew may not make the playoffs as the Raiders starter, but the odds of Vegas stealing a game from the Chargers are much higher than if Nix was the starting QB.
3. Chiefs re-signing Chris Jones
The original premise of this article was to highlight one terrifying move from each of the AFC West foes this offseason. The only problem is that the Denver Broncos really have not done much to worry Chargers fans.
What are Chargers fans supposed to do, be scared of the Broncos signing Josh Reynolds? I know it seemed silly to include Minshew in this article but c'mon now. When Reynolds is your best addition in an offseason that is how you know it was a bad offseason.
Instead, the other move that should worry Chargers fans is one that kept the strongest team in the division as strong as they were last season. There was hope that Chris Jones would leave the Chiefs after last year's contract holdout but it ultimately did not matter. Jones and the Chiefs signed a new deal.
The tail end of this contract probably won't be the best for Jones as he likely won't ace gracefully but the Chiefs are not worried about that. All Kansas City wanted was to keep the most impactful defensive player on the team on the roster. And that is what they did.
Kansas City's defense did a lot of heavy lifting throughout last season when the offense wasn't playing at its best and Jones was a huge proponent in that defensive success. Now, the Chargers have to prepare for a Chiefs team that will, yet again, be great on both sides of the ball.