The Kansas City Chiefs entered the 2026 offseason with several clear priorities: improving the pass rush, adding another weapon at wide receiver, improving the secondary, and getting tougher against the run. For the most part, they checked every box.<\/p>\n
Kansas City attacked free agency aggressively, found value in the draft, and continued restructuring contracts to stay competitive financially. The cap situation still is not ideal, especially after losing pieces like Trent McDuffie<\/a> and Jaylen Watson<\/a>, but the roster looks deeper in several important areas.<\/p>\n The Chiefs currently sit around $6 million under the salary cap<\/a>, which still leaves enough room for another veteran player before training camp. The June 1st deadline should also provide some extra flexibility.<\/p>\n Even with another strong offseason from Kansas City, the AFC West is getting tougher across the board.<\/p>\n The Chargers expected the offensive line to be one of the strengths of the roster last season. Instead, injuries completely disrupted the unit. Losing both tackles exposed the interior quickly, and protection became inconsistent for most of the year.<\/p>\n Now the group looks much more stable.<\/p>\n The projected starting offensive line of Rashawn Slater<\/a>, Jake Slaughter<\/a>, Tyler Biadasz<\/a>, Cole Strange<\/a>, and Joe Alt<\/a> has size, experience, and much better depth behind it than last season\u2019s group.<\/p>\n Los Angeles clearly made fixing protection a priority after allowing 54 sacks. The additions of Biadasz and Strange brought experience to the interior, while players like Logan Taylor<\/a> added developmental depth through the draft.<\/p>\n That matters in a division with Chris Jones<\/a> still wrecking games from the interior. Rookies Peter Woods<\/a> and R Mason Thomas <\/a>help boost the Chiefs’ Defensive Line, and in the NFL, trench play is what wins games late in the year.<\/p>\n In this division, every game will be determined by the strength of the line play. If the Chargers can consistently protect Justin Herbert<\/span><\/span><\/a>, this offense will be dangerous week to week.<\/p>\n For years, the Raiders felt stuck in a cycle of coaching changes, roster resets, and short-term fixes. Since 2002, the franchise has only made the playoffs twice while posting one of the worst winning percentages in football.<\/p>\n This offseason felt different.<\/p>\n John Spytek<\/a> put together a strong offseason that balanced immediate help with long-term structure. Tyler Linderbaum<\/a> gives the offensive line a centerpiece, and bringing in Kirk Cousins<\/a> gives Fernando Mendoza<\/a> a mentor to learn from at quarterback, even if his contract structure raised some questions.<\/p>\n Defensively, the additions of Quay Walker<\/a> and Nakobe Dean stand out immediately. Both linebackers bring some range and physicality to a defense that needed more speed in the middle of the field.<\/p>\n The bigger issue for the Kansas City Chiefs<\/span><\/span> is the division itself continuing to improve. The New England Patriots<\/span><\/span> benefited for years from weak divisional competition, but the AFC West is already one of the toughest divisions in football. If a third team truly becomes competitive, the road for the Chiefs starts looking a whole lot harder.<\/p>\n Bo Nix<\/a> took a major step forward during the 2025 season.<\/p>\nChargers: The Offensive Line Is Finally Healthy<\/h3>\n
Raiders: They Finally Look Stable<\/h3>\n
Broncos: Bo Nix Looks Real<\/h3>\n