Sticky summer heat meets hopeful anticipation from Denver to Los Angeles as the 2025 NFL training camps swing open. In the AFC West, it’s not just about new faces and hard practices. It’s more about the tension between promise and performance, a sort of gridiron suspense that defines this division. From evolving quarterback dramas and defensive remakes to storied coaches seeking one more run, all four AFC West camps simmer with possibility. The stakes? Unmistakably high. Only the sharpest will emerge from these July nights prepared to chase playoff dreams in January. Here’s how each team’s camp is setting the table for the wildest division in football.
Denver Broncos: Is Bo Nix the solution, or just the start?
Last year, Mile High City was still searching for its next franchise QB. By playoff time, rookie Bo Nix had Denver back in the postseason for the first time since Super Bowl 50. Nix solved the Broncos’ most persistent riddle and brought them success. This summer, the narrative shifts. Can Nix avoid a sophomore slump, now that the opponents have him figured out? “A lot better” is how Nix describes his comfort in Year 2, but the real judgment starts in camp.
Denver’s story doesn’t end under center. The defense, which powered last year’s run, brings even greater expectations. High-profile signings like Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga can be “game-changers,” if their bodies hold up after injury-plagued campaigns. With Javonte Williams gone, apart from the fresh faces, J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey will be vying for Williams’ spot. The backfield also features the talents of Jaleel McLaughin, Audric Estimé, and Tyler Badie. The camps will determine who stands on top.
The Broncos’ challenge: to take last year’s breakthrough and make it stick. This camp is about building belief that 2024 wasn’t a fluke.
Kansas City Chiefs: sustaining greatness with high stakes?
Last season’s Chiefs were a riddle. Unstoppable one Sunday, strikingly mortal the next. The signs of tears were visible straight from the preseason. As the three-time AFC West champs embark on camp in St. Joseph, the question is simple: can one of the most dynastic teams reinvent itself on the fly? The departure of trusted veterans and a wave of new draft picks, including linemen Josh Simmons and Omarr Norman-Lott, inject fresh energy but also introduce uncertainty. This is more than a roster turnover – it’s a test of the championship culture Andy Reid has built.
NEW ORLEANS, LA – FEBRUARY 09: QB Patrick Mahomes 15 of the Kansas City Chiefs scrambles during Super Bowl LIX between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, February 9, 2025 at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, LA. Photo by Bob Kupbens/Icon Sportswire NFL, American Football Herren, USA FEB 09 Super Bowl LIX – Eagles vs Chiefs EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon250209075
The buzz on the ground is all about position battles. Who will seize the left tackle job left wide open? Who becomes Patrick Mahomes’ go-to with a retooled receiver corps? They’re all back in prime health, and Mahomes is only projected to have one backup to make space in the other depth charts. Travis Kelce is looking better than ever and has promised a better performance than last season. The defense, already recalibrated after last year’s up-and-down stretch, now banks on breakout seasons from rookie pass-rush prospects. This evolving machine must hum to keep pace with upstart threats in their own division.
The question for the Chiefs Kingdom is simply: Can they make another Super Bowl run and have some fun in the process again? In Kansas City, the price of past success is sky-high expectations boiling through the training camp.
Las Vegas Raiders: Carroll, Geno, and a new era’s first test
The Raiders enter 2025 under the new leadership of a legendary coach, Pete Carroll, reunited with his old Seattle QB Geno Smith. Smith enters Sin City with a new lease and “unfinished business.” Carroll, GM John Spytek, and the lurking legend Tom Brady have come together to form a roster that’s built to compete. New OC Chip Kelly’s schemes and a hoard of new playmakers, including rookie running back Ashton Jeanty, bring unfamiliar optimism to an attack that ranked 27th in total offense last year.
But beware: a consistently failing offense and last place in rushing last season is a hard habit to break. Smith talks up potential: “explosive and efficient” is the goal now. On defense, coordinator Patrick Graham’s overhauled unit has fresh faces from free agency and the draft, but the shadow of Christian Wilkins’ injury lingers as a reminder of just how fragile transformations can be. While Maxx Crosby holds down the pass rusher fort, the linebackers have added strength. Elandon Roberts and Germaine Pratt come to the fray, with Jeremy Chinn holding down safety.
For Las Vegas, camp will be both a laboratory and a proving ground. How a new roster shines with Smith and new leadership is the question we’re looking forward to getting answered this camp.
Los Angeles Chargers: A Harbaugh makeover – part II
Building a contender in L.A. is never quiet, but Jim Harbaugh’s debut season was a blueprint for defensive renaissance. Harbaugh led the team through a tough season all the way to the postseason, claiming the second seat in the division in the process. Now, as the Chargers open camp searching for a new edge after moving on from Joey Bosa, the focus shifts to upgrading an offense that fell short when it mattered most. Can Ladd McConkey repeat a stellar rookie campaign? Will rookies like Tre Harris and KeAndre Lambert-Smith emerge as Justin Herbert’s go-to when the game’s on the line? The depth chart will be clear after camp.
More than flashy storylines, the running back room is notably a “dominant duo” in the making. Najee Harris arrives via free agency, with first-rounder Omarion Hampton nipping at his heels. Once merely a supporting act in the division, the Chargers must now prove – on both sides of the ball – they can play lead roles.
January 11, 2025, Houston, Texas, USA: Chargers quarterback JUSTIN HERBERT 10 warms up before the Houston Texans and Los Angeles Chargers game at NRG Stadium in Houston. Houston USA – ZUMAg261 20250111_znp_g261_002 Copyright: xDomenicxGreyx
The dominant question: Can a redefined attack complement a defense that already knows how to win?
AFC West camps crackle with more questions than answers this year. Will the Chiefs tweak their magic enough? Can Denver double down on surprise? Are the Raiders’ bold moves mere window dressing or something real? Can Harbaugh’s Chargers seize the moment? As practice reps fade into memory and the preseason looms, these camps feel less like beginnings and more like promises waiting to be kept. Which franchise are you rooting for in the AFC West this season?
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