Biggest Weakness for Chiefs, Each AFC West Team Entering 2026

This past NFL season was flipped on its head, with the Kansas City Chiefs and other teams that had established themselves as Super Bowl-caliber teams missing the playoffs.

For a team, such as the Chiefs, to miss the playoffs for the first time in over a decade, illustrates how everything fell apart at the seams. Kansas City's shortcomings were exploited in one-score contests, as it went 1-9 in those games.

Without revealing too much, let's assess each team in the AFC West and decipher what their top weakness is heading into the offseason.

Denver Broncos: Wide Receiver

Denver may have won 14 games in 2025, but the offense sputtered at times, which was a reflection of Bo Nix's imperfections; nevertheless, the Broncos need to upgrade the weapons on the outside.

The Broncos illustrated their acknowledgement of this issue and actively made calls at the trade deadline to improve the position. Miami Dolphins' wide receiver Jaylen Waddle was rumored to be in serious consideration for Denver, but a trade never materialized. With almost $30 million in cap space and Nix still on his rookie contract, expect the Broncos to be aggressive this offseason.

Los Angeles Chargers: Pass Rush

Jan 11, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Odafe Oweh (98) and Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Khalil Mack (52) tackle New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) as he throws a pass during the second half in an AFC Wild Card Round game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Los Angeles ranked 10th in the NFL with 45 sacks in 2025, which may cause confusion with this suggestion, but the Chargers' sack production was misleading. The two sack leaders on the team were Odafe Oweh (7.5 sacks) and Khalil Mack (5 sacks). Oweh has not lived up to his first-round investment by the Baltimore Ravens, which prompted them to trade the veteran pass rusher to the Chargers. Meanwhile, Mack is 35 years old and could be considering retirement. Both players are impending free agents this offseason.

With $83.5 million in cap space, Los Angeles should aggressively pursue a pass rusher in free agency and potentially use its first-round pick on another.

Kansas City Chiefs: Pass Rush

Dec 7, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton (32) and Kansas City Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis (56) sack Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) during the fourth quarter at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amy Kontras-Imagn Images | Amy Kontras-Imagn Images

The Chiefs ranked 26th in the NFL with 33 sacks this past season, and the production from the edge rushers was particularly worrisome. George Karlaftis, whom Kansas City signed to a four-year, $93 million extension, finished the season with six sacks.

Kansas City owns the No. 9 pick and should be leaning towards a pass rusher with that selection, as that position is hard to come by. The Chiefs will not have a better opportunity to address edge rusher.

Las Vegas Raiders: Offensive Line

Dec 28, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith (7) is sacked by New York Giants defensive lineman Darius Alexander (91) in the fourth quarter at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

The Raiders were the most dysfunctional team in the league in 2025, and while there were multiple red flags with the operation, the offensive line was appalling. Fernando Mendoza's development is paramount, and a weak offensive line can derail that process.

Luckily for Las Vegas, it has $90 million in cap space and can generate additional draft capital by trading pass rusher Maxx Crosby.

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