Is Chiefs' AFC West Dominance Set To End In 2025?

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Adam Schultz | Last updated Jun 3, 2025 8:42 PM ET

The Kansas City Chiefs may not have completed the three-peat last season, and some might think their era of dominance over the NFL is waning...but the AFC West is still Chiefs country.

But will that be the case this season?

Having won nine straight division titles and doing it at a canter under Patrick Mahomes' guidance, the Chiefs have been the mainstay at the top of the AFC West. Still, this offseason, the Los Angeles Chargers, Denver Broncos, and Las Vegas Raiders have all improved.

So the Chiefs aren't exactly a lock for the division despite their reputation for running through their rivals. And NFL.com's Judy Battista is wondering if the AFC West is no longer the one-horse race it has been for the last nine years.

"The Chiefs won their ninth straight division title last season -- taking the 2024 crown by four games -- but the Broncos and Chargers both made the playoffs and both were far ahead of schedule in their respective rebuilds, so this narrative is already wilting," Battista wrote. "Can those two teams bury it once and for all? This is as much competition as the Chiefs have faced since their reign began."

Yes, the Chargers, Broncos, and Raiders will be improved, but we aren't about to sell our Chiefs stock just yet.

After all, Mahomes is 35-5 against the AFC West, so until we see proof that the Chiefs have slipped into the chasing pack, we will take Andy Reid's team to make it 10 straight years of division dominance.

But Battista is right. This won't be a cakewalk for Kansas City, with the rest of the division now feeling like they have a legitimate shot at taking down the kings of the AFC West.

Will the Chiefs' reign of terror finally end in 2025?

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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