Despite any outside concerns, the Kansas City Chiefs remained kings of the AFC West in 2024. Backed by the strength of 11 wins by one possession or less, the Chiefs finished with a 15-2 record and earned their ninth straight division title and left their rivals trying to find ways to catch up.
While some of the moves could help close the gap next season, like the Los Angeles Chargers’ selection of Omarion Hampton in the first round of last month’s draft, there are others where the rivals are waving the white flag. One move in particular caught the attention of a Chiefs player and it shows they may have one less team to worry about when defending their divisional title in 2025.
Raiders’ Decision to Pay Punter AJ Cole Shows They Don't Trust Offense
According to FOX Sports’s Jordan Schultz, the Las Vegas Raiders have agreed to a four-year, $15.8 million contract extension with punter AJ Cole. The deal includes $11 million guaranteed and makes him the highest-paid punter in the NFL while increasing his total compensation to $20 million over the next five seasons.
It’s a hefty payday for the two-time All-Pro, but it didn’t come without some criticism. Former Chiefs special teams player Gehrig Dieter called out the move, saying that only teams that punt a lot would pay for a good punter.
The numbers back up Dieter’s observation. The Chiefs’ 319 punts since Cole entered the league in 2019 are the fewest in the NFL during that timeframe and the Raiders rank 20th in that stat with 376 punts. The number was a little more even last season, however, as Las Vegas punted 67 times to the Chiefs' 62 punts.
That being said, a key difference is how much the two teams are paying their punters. According to Over The Cap, Cole carries a cap hit of $3.73 million this season, although that number could be altered based on the structure of their new deal. Chiefs punter Matt Araiza will only have a $960,000 cap hit, which is in line with Over The Cap’s valuation of $1.05 million last season.
But winning does more than counting pennies with punters. The Chiefs own a 78-22 record since Cole entered the league, while the Raiders are 43-57. Mix in three Super Bowl titles to the Raiders' one playoff appearance, and comparing punters doesn't seem like the key difference between the two teams.
While Dieter’s words could cause a battle of punt gods, it’s more likely to come down to how much Patrick Mahomes and Geno Smith can keep them off the field when the Raiders visit the Chiefs on Oct. 19.