Patrick Mahomes and Bo Nix enter training camp as AFC West quarterbacks returning from major injuries, while coaching changes, rookie competition and major roster decisions will shape a division that could again be one of the NFL’s deepest in 2026.
Headline: AFC West training camp report: Mahomes, Nix injuries and new offensive voices lead key questions
SEO Title: AFC West 2026 training camp preview: Mahomes, Nix, Mendoza and Herbert
SEO Description: The biggest 2026 AFC West training camp developments include Patrick Mahomes’ recovery, Bo Nix’s return, Fernando Mendoza’s rookie competition and the Chargers’ new offense.
What changed for the franchise
Denver Broncos
Nix is expected to participate fully when Denver opens camp after breaking his ankle in last season’s divisional-round victory, but the Broncos will closely manage the recovery of their franchise quarterback. His movement and workload will be a central camp issue after Denver reached the AFC Championship Game.
The Broncos gave Nix a potentially elite receiving tandem by acquiring Jaylen Waddle to join Courtland Sutton. Camp should begin to clarify whether the two are used interchangeably as co-headliners or whether Sutton remains the clear top target. Troy Franklin, Marvin Mims Jr. and Pat Bryant also return in the battle to become Denver’s third receiving option.
Denver’s most consequential staff move came after its AFC title game defeat. Sean Payton dismissed offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi two days later, elevated quarterbacks coach Davis Webb and subsequently handed the 31-year-old former NFL quarterback the play-calling responsibility. Webb joined Payton’s staff in 2023, so the offense should retain much of its foundation, but Nix will hear a different voice on game days.
The Broncos went 14-3 last season despite ranking 14th in scoring. A more productive attack could substantially alter the AFC playoff race. Denver otherwise pursued continuity, with Waddle representing its major outside addition. Defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers departed, linebacker Dre Greenlaw was released, and the club did not make its first draft selection until the third round.
That continuity could matter early. Denver’s challenging opening stretch includes road games against the Chiefs, 49ers and Chargers, plus home dates with the Jaguars, Rams and Seahawks.
Kansas City Chiefs
Mahomes said during the offseason program that his ACL and LCL rehabilitation has put him in a positive position and that he aims to be ready for Week 1. Andy Reid indicated Mahomes should be able to take part in some camp work, though the quarterback’s exact ramp-up remains unsettled.
Kansas City’s approach will likely be cautious with its two-time NFL MVP. Justin Fields, now with his fourth organization in four years, could receive extensive attention as the backup while Mahomes works his way back toward full clearance.
The Chiefs also remade their cornerback group after trading two-time All-Pro Trent McDuffie and allowing Jaylen Watson to leave in free agency. Both players landed with the Rams. Kansas City will look to 2025 third-round selection Nohl Williams and sixth overall pick Mansoor Delane to take on larger roles.
Fourth-round rookie Jadon Canady, free-agent addition Kader Kohou and returning corner L’Jarius Sneed will compete for snaps. Sneed is back in Kansas City after the club previously dealt him to Tennessee. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has overseen defenses that finished among the NFL’s top six in points allowed in each of the past three seasons.
Eric Bieniemy’s return as offensive coordinator is another major development. In his first five seasons in that role from 2018 through 2022, Kansas City never ranked below sixth in either scoring or total offense. The Chiefs led the league in points twice and in total yards three times during that period. Over the three seasons since his departure, they have averaged 17th in scoring and 15th in yards, with the Tyreek Hill trade and Travis Kelce’s age among other factors in the offensive decline.
Las Vegas Raiders
No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza will be the central attraction in Las Vegas. New head coach Klint Kubiak has made clear that he would prefer not to start a rookie quarterback in Week 1, and the signing of Kirk Cousins gives the Raiders the ability to develop Mendoza without forcing him into action.
Mendoza nevertheless arrives after an unbeaten 16-0 season, a Heisman Trophy and a national championship at Indiana. His camp performance will determine how strongly he pushes Cousins for the starting job and how quickly the organization considers making a change.
Wide receiver remains a less settled part of the Raiders offense around Mendoza, running back Ashton Jeanty and tight end Brock Bowers. Tre Tucker was Las Vegas’ most dependable wideout last season, though he has not yet established himself as a true No. 1 receiver.
Jack Bech and Dont’e Thornton Jr., 2025 second- and fourth-round picks, respectively, are trying to rebound from quiet rookie campaigns. Jalen Nailor joins the group after producing 57 catches, 858 yards and 10 touchdowns across the past two seasons in Minnesota. Tucker, Bech, Thornton and Nailor appear to be the leading candidates for the primary roles, but preseason work will help set the pecking order.
The defense changed dramatically during the brief period when Maxx Crosby appeared headed to Baltimore. The Raiders agreed to trade the five-time Pro Bowl edge rusher to the Ravens, then Baltimore withdrew from the deal four days later. Las Vegas had already spent heavily to prepare for life without Crosby, leaving him back with what could be the strongest defense of his Raiders tenure.
Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker have reshaped the linebacker room, Taron Johnson strengthens the secondary, and Kwity Paye is positioned to play opposite Crosby on the edge. The Raiders now have more than their rookie quarterback to build excitement around.
Los Angeles Chargers
Jim Harbaugh made a significant change after the Chargers scored a combined 15 points in their past two wild-card losses. He fired longtime offensive coordinator Greg Roman and hired Mike McDaniel, the former Dolphins head coach, to run the offense.
McDaniel’s arrival gives Justin Herbert a new system designed to create explosive production. The impact could extend beyond the Pro Bowl quarterback to running back Omarion Hampton and a tight end group featuring Oronde Gadsden II, David Njoku and Charlie Kolar.
Los Angeles also enters camp hoping its rebuilt offensive line can finally stay intact. Left tackle Rashawn Slater missed last season after suffering a patellar tendon injury in August, while right tackle Joe Alt appeared in only six games before season-ending ankle surgery.
Herbert absorbed a career-high 54 sacks behind the injury-riddled line. He led the NFL with 268 pressures faced and a 43.3 percent pressure rate. Slater and Alt return alongside new additions Tyler Biadasz and Cole Strange, while second-round pick Jake Slaughter joins the competition. The group’s health and chemistry will be critical through August.
The Chargers made fewer changes on defense. Defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson, 32, was the most prominent free-agent signing, while pass rushers Odafe Oweh and Da’Shawn Hand departed. Los Angeles also selected edge rusher Akheem Mesidor in the first round after he led the ACC with 12.5 sacks in 2025.
Mesidor will not need to carry the pass rush immediately. He joins Tuli Tuipulotu, who recorded 13 sacks and ranked sixth in the NFL last season, and nine-time Pro Bowler Khalil Mack. The Chargers hope Mesidor can eventually succeed Mack while forming a long-term edge pairing with Tuipulotu.
