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The AFC West might have the most experienced group of quarterbacks returning this season, with three of the four teams having veteran quarterbacks with playoff experience.
Of course, these quarterbacks are led by a multiple Super Bowl winner and a much-talked-about rookie.
Here is the list of the best AFC West quarterbacks.
Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Despite not making the playoffs this past season, Mahomes was still at the top of his craft. He still passed for over 3500 yards and 22 touchdowns before he was injured at the end of the season. Mahomes did everything he could to drag his team across the finish line to the playoffs, but he and the team ran out of gas.
It will be interesting to see how Mahomes bounces back this year with several young guns hot on his heels, ready to replace him at the top of this list. One thing we all shouldn't do is underestimate him. As he has proven time and time again, he will always have the last word one way or another.
Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
Who knew that Bo Nix would move this fast up the list unless you are Sean Payton or Bronco fans, but here we are. Nix had a better season than Mahomes and took his team to the AFC Championship Game, and many will argue the only reason the Broncos didn't make the Super Bowl was that he was injured. He threw for almost 4000 yards and 25 touchdowns.
Nix made a huge leap from rookie to second-year player, to the point that he has the Broncos as the team to beat in the AFC West, not the Chiefs.
Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
Justin Herbert finally broke through and got his team to the playoffs for the first time in his career. Now that the monkey is off his back, the question remains: can he do it again? Herbert threw for over 3700 yards, 26 passing touchdowns, and he rushed for nearly 500 yards and two touchdowns.
Herbert has always been a pretty good quarterback, but now he's being asked to do it two years in a row in a tough division, battling not only for that but also for a playoff spot. He will also be asked to put up better numbers than in 2025. Can he pull it off?
Fernando Mendoza, Las Vegas Raiders
The most anticipated debut this upcoming season has to be that of Raiders rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza. The Heisman winner won't be able to sit behind a veteran and learn; the Raiders are throwing him right in there. Expectations have been tempered for Mendoza because of his rookie status, but make no mistake, the Raiders have gone all in on him, and even though they may not expect a lot from him this first season, they hope that he will show signs of what made him a great quarterback in college.
This article originally appeared on Touchdown Wire: Ranking the quarterbacks in the AFC West
