For the first time since 2015, the AFC West saw a team other than the Kansas City Chiefs win the division last season, and that was the Denver Broncos. There’s reason to believe that the Chiefs could be topped again in 2026, but they still have the best quarterback in the division on their side. The AFC West as a whole has all of a sudden become one of the most interesting divisions in the NFL, with three potential playoff teams in the fold. We flip over to the West in the AFC to rank the best QB-RB-WR trios among the four teams.
Best QB-RB-WR Trios in the AFC West
1. Patrick Mahomes-Kenneth Walker III-Rashee Rice (Kansas City Chiefs)
There’s a reason for some caution with this QB-RB-WR trio heading into this 2026 season, but only because of injury-related/off-field issues. Patrick Mahomes is coming off a major knee injury, while Rashee Rice is also rehabbing from a knee injury over the offseason. Rice has also found himself in legal trouble a couple of times already. With that being the case, the duo of a healthy and available Mahomes and Rice for an extended period of time could cause issues for the rest of the league.
Now you add Kenneth Walker into the fold at running back, and you have one of the best trios in the league. Signing Walker gives the Chiefs an explosive back with high upside, something they haven’t had at the position for a few seasons now. He is an instant upgrade at running back and increases the chances of a rebound year in Kansas City.
Before the injury, Mahomes was having the worst year of his career last season, but if anyone can bounce back, if healthy, it’s Mahomes. Obviously, he’s by far the leading catalyst for this offense.
2. Bo Nix-J.K. Dobbins-Jaylen Waddle (Denver Broncos)
The Broncos acquired one of the fastest wide receivers in the game when they traded for Jaylen Waddle in the offseason. He has potential to get back to his 1,000-yard self, as we’ve seen in his first three seasons. The Broncos already had the likes of Courtland Sutton, Troy Franklin and an up-and-coming Pat Bryant at wide receiver, but adding Waddle could be a game-changer for Bo Nix.
What makes the Broncos’ offense exciting is that you could replace Waddle with Sutton in this scenario and the trio would still have the same outlook, as we saw last season. Now, Nix has a great group of receivers to throw to, potentially only elevating the quarterback’s play heading into his third season. This is the year he could get to 4,000 yards, but there’s also caution with him coming off a broken bone in his ankle.
Denver brings back J.K. Dobbins at running back, who’s a solid back but always has significant injury risk. He’s never reached a 1,000-yard season in his career because of that. Dobbins at least has a couple of those seasons if he stayed healthy, including last year. Dobbins will be the factor on whether or not this group can reach their potential as one of the top QB-RB-WR trios in the league.
3. Justin Herbert-Omarion Hampton-Ladd McConkey (Los Angeles Chargers)
The only returning QB-RB-WR trio in the AFC West belongs to the Los Angeles Chargers with Justin Herbert, Omarion Hampton and Ladd McConkey. This trio has all the potential in the world to explode with all of their individual talent.
Speaking of talent, Herbert is one of the most talented quarterbacks in the NFL; people are just waiting for it to be put together for 17 games. He’s coming off a season in which his interception rate spiked exponentially, to no help from offensive line injuries. McConkey also took a step back last season from his 1,000-yard campaign in 2024, his rookie season, but again, if Herbert is struggling to get protection from an injured offensive line, it has a trickle-down effect.Â
Hampton also had his fair share of injuries in 2025, missing a good portion of his rookie campaign with a high ankle sprain. He was productive while he played and showed promise of a RB1. Hampton is among the potential breakout candidates in the NFL. It helps when your new offensive coordinator is Mike McDaniel, one of the best minds on that side of the ball, who also helped De’Vone Achane secure a four-year extension in Miami.
The bottom line? If the offense can stay healthy, this trio can quickly climb up the ranks.Â
4. Kirk Cousins-Ashton Jeanty-Tre Tucker (Las Vegas Raiders)
It’s expected that Kirk Cousins gets the reins as QB1 to start the season, but even if Fernando Mendoza took the ball right out of the gate, the Las Vegas Raiders would still rank last in the AFC West.Â
Tre Tucker is a nice piece to have, but he isn’t a true wide receiver one. He did, however, have his best season yet, tallying 696 yards with a career-high five touchdowns and averaging just over 40 yards per game. As mentioned, he’ll have another quarterback throwing to him, and it’ll be the 14-year veteran, Cousins. Cousins is on the back end of his career but is a decent bridge quarterback to have. If/when Mendoza takes over at any point during the season, he has the ability to fit right in with this Klint Kubiak-led offense.Â
In this QB-RB-WR trio, it’s up to Ashton Jeanty to show the most promise in the backfield. Jeanty was disappointing relative to expectations in his rookie season but is expected to bounce back in a big way for the 2026 campaign, as long as his current ankle injury isn’t long-term like the team believes. He’s going to have to have no choice but to bounce back if the Raiders want to take steps forward.Â
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