While clear roster holes remain for the Kansas City Chiefs, the fanbase can take some pride in the fact that they are setting themselves up to surpass a rival. Heading into the 2026 offseason, there were similar storylines facing the Chargers and Chiefs, with both franchises expected to do more to support their young quarterbacks. Already, the Chiefs have brought in Kenneth Walker to solidify the backfield and fixed the offensive line, parting ways with Jawaan Taylor.
On the flipside, you have the Chargers, who are yet to add one exciting option for Herbert at receiver and still have question marks in the backfield. While the coaching staff remains strong, there is reason to believe that the Chiefs will be the better 2026 team with the Denver Broncos as the one true challenger.
It is important to note that there is still a long summer ahead and plenty of time for the Chargers to course correct. However, for the time being, there is no denying that the Chiefs are winning the offseason battle, while it appears Herbert will continue to be asked to play hero ball and fail. Unlike Mahomes, the Charger quarterback lacks the skillset to carry his team to the playoffs when everything isn't falling in his direction.
Chiefs Clearly Passing the Chargers as Underwhelming 2026 Offseason Continues for Division Rival
While the Chargers have reinforced the offensive line, the one notable playmaker addition has been tight end Charlie Kolar. Add in the free agency loss of Odafe Oweh, and the Chargers' pass rush just became far less concerning for Kansas City's offensive line as well. To put it simply, the Chiefs have the more talented offense and all the draft picks needed to finish a defensive retool.
The biggest remaining concern for KC is a secondary that is being rebuilt, and it is hard for Los Angeles to exploit this when they have no clear threats. If the season started today, the Chiefs have a huge advantage at receiver, tight end, running back, and arguably the better offensive line when it comes to experience and cohesion.
Quarterback clearly falls in Kansas City's favor as well, with any comparisons of Mahomes and Herbert being laughable based on career achievements. The final piece of the puzzle for the Chiefs to clearly lap the Chargers in the 2026 offseason is to utilize this year's draft class to finish rebuilding a defense built around the genius of Steve Spagnuolo.
Los Angeles should safely be counted out as the biggest threat to the Chiefs in the AFC West. It is the Broncos that remain the only viable concern as the Chiefs continue to utilize the offseason to make up ground and motivate a roster ready to reclaim its former dominance and remind the league the Chiefs aren't dead just yet.