Last week, our interim “fearless leader” and contributing editor, Ron Kopp Jr., wrote a prediction for the Kansas City Chiefs’ win-loss record in the upcoming 2026 regular season
In his piece, he predicted the Chiefs would go 13-4. His expectations align with mine, regarding how the season will play out as a legitimate bounce-back year. We have a few differences in the actual wins and losses, but when the dust settles, it feels like this will be a four-loss campaign, which would be the sixth time
Kansas City has lost four or fewer games among nine seasons with starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Here was a summary of Ron’s mindset in getting to such a strong record.
‘There is little doubt in my head (or maybe it’s my heart) that the re-tooling done to the Chiefs’ roster, coaching staff and potentially scheme will set Kansas City up to start out strong, staying ahead of the curve by running the offense differently than before, and keeping a steady hand through the toughest parts of the schedule to once again hold one of the NFL’s best win-loss records.
So we’ll use the 13-4 result as a starting point to branch out and look at the rest of the AFC West and how the schedules look for Kansas City’s three division foes.
Will 13 wins be enough to reclaim the division title the Chiefs won for nine consecutive seasons before finishing third in 2025? Let’s find out:
Denver Broncos
The NFL schedulers did the Broncos no favors, especially with quarterback Bo Nix coming off a serious ankle injury he suffered during the playoffs last season.
Denver opens the season on “Monday Night Football” in Arrowhead Stadium against the Chiefs, and then follows it up with the Los Angeles Rams at home and the San Francisco 49ers on the road. Then, the Broncos stay on the road for the second division game against the Los Angeles Chargers before coming back home to play the Seattle Seahawks. All of this happens by Week 6.
It’s reasonable to imagine the Broncos entering the Week 10 bye with a record of 4-5. A slow start in Denver could very well be made up for as the team improves down the stretch, but I see this hole being too deep to climb out of and make the postseason.
Final record prediction: 10-7
Las Vegas Raiders
Despite using the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft to select a potential “future-of-the-franchise” quarterback in Fernando Mendoza, the expectation is that the Raiders will begin the season with Kirk Cousins starting. Similar to the Broncos, the Raiders face an early gauntlet in Weeks 4-11, playing the Chiefs at home, traveling to play the New England Patriots, playing the Buffalo Bills at home, then they have to take on the Rams, 49ers, Seahawks and Broncos, all before the late-season break that comes in Week 13.
Once past the bye week, Las Vegas gets the gift of closing the season with three divisional matchups in the final five weeks. With plenty of room to improve as a franchise, this should be a productive season for the Raiders when it’s all said and done, especially once the reins are handed over to Mendoza.
While Las Vegas may learn about the rookie quarterback once that happens, neither option is enough to feel like a serious competitor in the AFC West this year.
Final record prediction: 6-11
Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers get the easiest start to the season of these three teams, facing the Arizona Cardinals and Raiders right off the bat, but the path suddenly gets steep in Week 3: road games against Buffalo and Seattle before returning home to take on the Broncos. That all leads into a Week 6 battle with the Chiefs in Kansas City, who will be fresh off a bye while Los Angeles’ bye is the week after.
Coming out of the bye, the Chargers’ NFC roommates, the Rams, are among the few tough opponents the rest of the way, along with the Baltimore Ravens on the road, the Patriots, and the 49ers before finishing the season with the Chiefs and Broncos.
At the end of the day, I think the story of the Chargers will be a familiar one. Quarterback Justin Herbert will continue to play well, but it won’t be enough for Los Angeles to make any noticeable impact in the league in 2026.
Final record prediction: 9-8
Final AFC West standings
1. Chiefs (13-4)
2. Broncos (10-7)
3. Chargers (9-8)
4. Raiders (6-11)
When it’s all said and done, I think quarterback Patrick Mahomes and head coach Andy Reid, along with the Chiefs’ revamped coaching staff, give fans in the Kingdom a year to remember after a rare one to forget in 2025.
The AFC West title would set up Kansas City for a Super Bowl run once again, potentially the last of legendary tight end Travis Kelce’s career.
What’s your prediction for how the AFC West standings will unfold during the 2026 season? Let us know in the comments below!
