The AFC West’s quarterback picture changed again after the Las Vegas Raiders moved Kirk Cousins, and that shuffle leaves a very clear pecking order for now. At the top, Patrick Mahomes is still the standard.
Behind him, Bo Nix is making a real push. Justin Herbert has slid into a rough stretch.
And Fernando Mendoza enters the division with almost no NFL tape to go on.
Mahomes remains the safest bet in the group and sits No. 1 in these updated rankings. He’s been the division’s best quarterback this season, even with Kansas City dealing with issues up front.
The tackle situation has been less than ideal, and outside of Kenneth Walker III, the offense has not offered much else. Still, the Chiefs added wide receiver Josh Downs in a trade, and that should help a passing game that already has Mahomes leading the way.
He has 14 passing touchdowns, the most among starting quarterbacks in the division, and Kansas City looks every bit like a juggernaut. That makes the six-win 2025 season look more and more like an outlier.
Nix has climbed to No. 2, and the recent trend line is doing the heavy lifting. Over his last three starts, the Broncos have averaged 28 points on offense, and Nix has posted a 94.8 passer rating with 6.9 yards per attempt in that span.
In his first six games, those numbers were much lower: a 79.4 passer rating and 5.6 yards per attempt. Denver is 7-2, and Nix has helped deliver in the biggest moments, including a two-touchdown fourth quarter in the Week 9 win over Carolina.
He’s moving in the right direction.
Herbert lands third, even though his season has been a struggle by any standard. He has six passing touchdowns and 11 interceptions, along with a 70.4 passer rating and fewer than 200 passing yards per game.
He’s also been sacked 31 times in eight games, which works out to nearly four per contest. The Chargers have been a mess across the board, so Herbert isn’t carrying all of that alone, but the production has been ugly.
Mendoza is the new face in Las Vegas and checks in at No. 4.
He’s still essentially a blank slate at the position, with only eight passing attempts to his name. The Raiders are expected to give him the rest of the regular season to show what he can do, and he should get the full 2027 season as well.
For now, though, the unknown is enough to put him at the bottom of the AFC West quarterback rankings.
In Other News...
Broncos Made A Quiet Move That Could Matter In The Playoff Push
The Broncos added a little linebacker insurance with their trade for Daiyan Henley, a move that did not create much noise but could end up mattering as the playoff race tightens. Henley arrives as a depth piece, and while his overall performance grades have been only moderate, his tackling has stood out enough to make him a useful option for a defense that values reliability and versatility.
Jonathon Coopers legal issues have left Denver with some uncertainty about how often it can count on him, and that is where Henley could fit in. The Broncos can use him in specific situations or lean on him as a replacement if needed, giving the staff another option at a position where availability can change the picture quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Nearly Landed A Major Running Back Upgrade At The Deadline
The Broncos spent part of the trade deadline shopping for help in the backfield, with reports indicating they explored a deal for Colts running back Jonathan Taylor. Denver has stayed atop the AFC West, but the front office clearly took a hard look at whether a proven runner could give the offense another layer as the stretch run approaches.
Indianapolis asking price made the talks difficult, and the Broncos also checked on linebacker Daiyan Henley before that path, too, stalled out. For now, Denver moves ahead with its current running back group, a reminder that even a team in first place is still weighing whether the roster needs one more piece for the final push. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Suddenly Have A Real Linebacker Problem After Trade Collapse
The Broncos were trying to shore up the middle of their defense with a move for Chargers linebacker Daiyan Henley, but the deal never got across the finish line. Henley failed his physical in Denver, which immediately put the trade in limbo and left the Broncos reworking the idea of how they wanted to address inside linebacker depth.
Denver and Los Angeles kept talking after the setback, but the sides could not settle on revised terms, and Henley remained with the Chargers. For the Broncos, the result is a familiar kind of late-summer uncertainty: a position group that was supposed to get help is still waiting, and the internal answer at linebacker suddenly looks a lot less settled. [Read more 🡒]