The NFL offseason thus far has been dramatic, and it’s been highlighted by the arms race currently going on in the now stacked AFC West.
There is a new “best division” in the NFL, and it’s not particularly close. The AFC West, after roughly a week of free agency, is now far and away the best division in football.
The arms race currently going on began with the Denver Broncos acquiring Russell Wilson in a trade.
This not only made them playoff contenders but legitimate Super Bowl contenders. The Broncos already boasted one of the best groups of skill position players in the NFL, so adding Wilson, who is a first-ballot Hall of Fame quarterback, makes them Super Bowl contenders.
The team is also set to return their core of the defense, which was the third-ranked unit in the NFL for 2021.
The Los Angeles Chargers had a high-powered offense featuring Justin Herbert, Keenan Allen, and Mike Williams. They were able to re-sign Williams to keep their main offensive core together. However, their defense was among the league’s worst.
In free agency thus far, they’ve added cornerback J.C. Jackson, Khalil Mack, and Sebastian Joseph-Day.
The Chargers have attacked the weak points of their team and after winning nine games in 2021, they should win a couple more in 2022.
The Chiefs are the Chiefs. They are a top-heavy team with an OK defense and weaker depth. However, with Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, and Travis Kelce, they will be fine.
As for the Raiders, they squeezed into the playoffs at 10-7. They had a solid offense and defense, and they’ve since added premier pass rusher Chandler Jones and star receiver Davante Adams in a trade with the Packers.
Each team in the AFC West has now either become ultra-competitive or has remained competitive.
With the NFL expanding into a seven-team playoff format, there is a possibility that an entire division can make the postseason.
There are now three Wild Card teams, and if the Chargers win the division in 2022 for example, the Chiefs, Raiders, and Broncos could all clinch Wild Card spots.
What makes this even more impressive is the overall depth of the AFC outside of the AFC West.
In the AFC East, you could argue there are three playoff teams with the Bills, Patriots, and Dolphins who have had back-to-back winning seasons.
In the AFC South, both the Titans and Colts look like playoff-caliber teams with solid rosters.
The AFC North is also another stacked division, with the Bengals who just made the Super Bowl, the Browns who are currently going through some uncertainty with Baker Mayfield, and the Ravens who battled through a ton of injuries in 2021.
All three of these clubs can also make the playoffs.
By my count, there are 11 teams that are viable playoff clubs for 2022 in the AFC, but the AFC West remains the top division by far.
They not only have solid rosters throughout but are stacked with high-end, elite, All-Pro level players.
It seems to me that the Raiders, Broncos, and Chargers are officially tired of the Chiefs running the division. Kansas City has largely sat on their hands this offseason, and they are beginning to pay the price.
I think there is a new AFC West champion in 2022.