Matt Mathias

Sports Editor

mcm5909@psu.edu

With the biggest free agents and trades behind us, the landscape of the AFC West has drastically changed from where it was last season. The Los Angeles Chargers and the Las Vegas Raiders fought at the end of the season for a playoff spot while the Kansas City Chiefs were an overtime away from another Super Bowl berth. Meanwhile, the Denver Broncos were doing their best as a lower tier team in the AFC, trading away long-time defensive star for the team, Von Miller, to the Rams where he would go on to win a Super Bowl. However, nothing is the same with these teams heading into the upcoming season.

The AFC West has quickly become the best and most competitive division in football. While the Chiefs have dominated the division since Patrick Mahomes’ arrival, each and every other team in the division have done their best to catch up.

To begin with, the Denver Broncos made themselves better immediately by trading for Russell Wilson on March 8. According to Broncos general manager, George Paton, acquiring Wilson was the team’s “number one priority from the moment we learned he was available.” Denver has struggled to find a quarterback that they can rely on since the retirement of legend Peyton Manning, so if they could acquire a veteran QB with the skillset, leadership, and experience that someone like Wilson would have, they would pull out all the stops to make a move. The Broncos also added pass-rusher Randy Gregory to pair up with Bradley Chubb on the defensive front. Wilson’s arrival in the mile-high will certainly be an improvement, but other teams in the division wouldn’t let this move slide so easily.

Two days later, the Chargers were able to acquire DL Khalil Mack from the Chicago Bears. Mack has been a monster on the defensive line for several years now and will surely get to Wilson, Carr and Mahomes several times throughout the year. The team was also able to secure the prized cornerback free agency talents of J.C. Jackson to bolster their defense alongside of Joey Bosa. Under the leadership of their young and rising quarterback, Justin Herbert, the Chargers feel primed to compete on both sides of the ball this upcoming season.

That’s not all, the Raiders wanted to make some moves themselves. In Green Bay, Aaron Rodgers announced that he would in fact return to the team this year as he signed a contract that would pay him $150 million over the next three years, solidifying his status with the team into his 40s. However, this distribution of wealth to Rodgers meant that the team would be unable to hold on to their star wide receiver, Davante Adams. With that being said, the Raiders made a move for Adams, acquiring him in a deal and signing him to a long-term contract worth $140 million over five years. He and Raiders QB Derek Carr were teammates at Fresno State, where some form of chemistry is sure to still exist between the duo. Offensively, the Raiders now boast weapons alongside Adams including tight end Darren Waller, wide receiver Hunter Renfrow, and running back Josh Jacobs. If the offensive line holds up, this team should be able to battle with the best.

Lastly, the Kansas City Chiefs remain primed to compete under the leadership of Mahomes and offensive mastermind and head coach Andy Reid. Over the offseason, they made a surprising move in trading away star wideout Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins. Hill has always been a reliable weapon for Mahomes thus far in his career, but with the addition of former Pittsburgh Steeler receiver Juju Smith-Schuster and the continued efforts of tight end Travis Kelce, the Chiefs should still be offensively elite.

Honestly, the division is up in the air at this point. The NFL is a quarterback driven league, so Kansas City still has the edge in terms of experience and consistent performances. Mahomes has continued to have a hot start to his NFL career. While Chargers QB Herbert has never been a part of a playoff game, he certainly has shown reason to believe in the player he is becoming. Wilson brings a Super Bowl pedigree to the Broncos alongside nine Pro Bowl appearances. While Carr may be looking up from the bottom of this list, he has been a three-time Pro Bowler and has taken his team to the playoffs twice. He may be primed for his best year yet alongside Davante Adams.

All in all, the four teams in the AFC West are boasting above average rosters with great expectations going into the 2022-2023 season. No division has ever had all four teams make the playoffs in a single season since the 2002 conference realignment, per Bleacher Report. However, the division was close to having three make the tournament last season. Each team is better than they were before and just might accomplish the unthinkable. As draft day approaches, each team is poised to improve themselves even more as this division may be the best and most competitive that professional football has ever seen.