The Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers will be both be tasked with attempting to take down the defending AFC Champion Kansas City Chiefs for years to come. Unfortunately for the Broncos and Chargers, it does not appear as though the Chiefs, who will be representing the AFC in Super Bowl LIV after first winning the AFC West division this season, are anywhere close to being dethroned.
However, while it doesn't seem as though any of the other three teams in the AFC West are primed to take down the surging Chiefs in the immediate future, the Broncos probably have the best chance of doing so if Kansas City is to fall. With the Oakland Raiders also in the mix as a middling franchise and the Chargers nowhere near ready to compete atop a division, the up-and-coming Broncos remain in the best position to at least competitively oppose the Chiefs in the AFC West going forward.
As it stands today, of the Broncos and Chargers, Denver clearly has the brighter future generally speaking — though the Chiefs won't be easy to overcome, especially when matching up against Kansas City twice per season.
As a result of this past regular season, the Broncos finished the year at 4-1 overall while finishing at an even 3-3 in the division. With the Chiefs notably finishing at a perfect 6-0 in AFC West play in 2019-20, the Chargers went winless at a dismal 0-6. Thanks to the Broncos' 4-1 finish to the regular season, with the Chargers going 1-4 to conclude the year, Denver managed to end the campaign at a nearly even 7-9, which is quite respectable after a very slow start to the year.
The biggest key for the Broncos, which gives them a noticeable edge over the rival Chargers, is that Denver has rising stars at all the right positions. Although very young, the Broncos seem to have a stable quarterback, running back, tight end, top wide receiver, pass rusher,, and defensive back all in place for the foreseeable future.
With soon-to-be second-year quarterback Drew Lock leading the way under center, he is currently flanked by running back Phillip Lindsay at running back, Noah Fant at tight end and Courtland Sutton at wideout. On the other side of the football, the Broncos continue to sport up-and-coming pass rusher, Bradley Chubb, along the defensive front with safety Justin Simmons patrolling center field with authority. Because the Broncos have potential superstars in all the right places, it will be much easier to rebuild and even compete at a high level in the coming years.
On the other hand, the Chargers went just 5-11 in 2019-20 while the team is in a much less stable position than Denver. Los Angeles does not have a quarterback ready to roll for 2020-21 as veteran signal-caller Philip Rivers will soon become an unrestricted free agent. Not only that, but running back Melvin Gordon will also more than likely be departing Los Angeles this offseason after initially holding out for a new contract this past offseason — one that never came.
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