Jon Gruden didn’t reach for the Raiders when asked to map out the AFC West. Instead, he went with Denver.
On Tuesday’s edition of Wake Up Barstool, the former Las Vegas head coach was asked to pick a division winner for the 2026 NFL season, and he made his choice quickly.
"I'm going to pick Denver, just because of continuity: head coach, quarterback," Gruden said. "Almost all their starters are back, and they're going to get a jolt from Waddle. I like the Broncos to win it.
"I like the Chargers in second and I like the Chiefs to finish third, but I think all three of those teams can be playoff teams and I think the Raiders are going to improve. But unfortunately for the Silver and Black, this is a very tough division with some established coaches and quarterback."
Denver enters the season as the team to beat in a loaded AFC West. The Broncos, valued at $6.8 billion by Forbes, rolled through a 14-win season in 2025 and have built their edge on a pass rush that has piled up 131 sacks over the last two seasons.
The Chargers are close behind, and Jim Harbaugh’s team has been steady enough to post back-to-back 11-6 seasons. The issue has been finishing drives with enough offensive firepower to make a real playoff jump.
Then there’s Kansas City, a team that has slipped to third after a six-win season. The Chiefs are counting on Patrick Mahomes to return ahead of schedule from a torn ACL and LCL and help pull them back into the race.
The Raiders, meanwhile, are still trying to climb out of the division cellar. Drafting Fernando Mendoza first overall and bringing in veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins should help, but the team is also adjusting to a new coaching staff under Klint Kubiak and still has a wide receivers room with much to desire.
Gruden’s comments came as his legal fight with the NFL hit another turn this week. The league failed to force the dispute into arbitration, another development in a case Gruden says stems from a "malicious and orchestrated campaign" to ruin his career.
That lawsuit traces back to the leak of Gruden’s emails, which included racist, misogynistic, and homophobic remarks from his time in ESPN. Those emails were uncovered during an investigation into the Washington franchise and ultimately led to his resignation from the Raiders.
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