10
Loading video...
By Michael Gallagher
Sports Content Coordinator
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
NFL training camps are in full swing, and as teams ease back into on-field drills and practices in the dead of the summer, football fans have a reason to rejoice.
The preseason officially begins when the Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers face off in the Hall of Fame Game on Thursday, Aug. 6 on NBC. The rest of the first week of the preseason kicks off the following week on Aug. 13.
As the start of the NFL regular season inches closer (Sept. 9), we are continuing to look at key offseason storylines for each of the league’s 32 teams. We’ve already looked at the top position battles to watch, rookies with the best chance of winning a starting job, and the players in the most danger of being cut, and now we shift our focus to the coaches.
Read More on NFL
We’ve already ranked the top quarterback and wide receiver rooms by division, and next up, we’re power ranking the head coaches in each division. Next up is the AFC West.
...
1- Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs
Andy Reid has the fourth-most all-time wins among NFL head coaches, and his 279-57-1 record is quite an impressive feat. He’s also won three Super Bowls in the last seven years, and it’ll take a while for any current active head coach to catch him in career accomplishments.
Last year was the first time Reid missed the playoffs since 2014, and if quarterback Patrick Mahomes is healthy enough to play a full season, the Chiefs should expect to be back in the postseason again this year and Reid would look even more untouchable.
2- Sean Payton, Denver Broncos
It’s hard not to be impressed with what Sean Payton has done in Denver in three short years. The Broncos went 8-9 in his first season, improved to 10-7 by Year 2, and they went 14-3 last year and made it to the AFC Championship Game. Had star QB Bo Nix not gotten hurt, there’s a solid chance Denver could’ve been playing in the Super Bowl.
The Broncos have those sky-high expectations again heading into 2026, especially after adding star wide receiver Jaylen Waddle. Payton has a few years to go before he surpasses Reid on this list, but adding a second Super Bowl to his resume certainly wouldn’t hurt.
...
3- Jim Harbaugh, Los Angeles Chargers
Jim Harbaugh’s .679 career win percentage is 10th-best all-time, and simply put: he knows how to win. He’s put up matching 11-6 seasons in Los Angeles, and he had a 44-19-1 record in four seasons with the San Francisco 49ers.
Of the six seasons he’s coached in the NFL, Harbaugh has reached double-digit wins and made the playoffs in every year but one. He has the unfortunate distinction of coaching in a top-heavy division with two Hall of Famers, but Harbaugh has the Chargers as a perennial playoff threat.
4- Klint Kubiak, Las Vegas Raiders
There may not be a first-year head coach in a worse position than Klint Kubiak (though Jeff Hafley in Miami has a strong case). The Raiders will start soon-to-be 38-year-old Kirk Cousins under center, they have one of the worst receiver rooms in the NFL, and their defense is solid but still needs some work.
The bar should be set low for Kubiak in Year 1, but once Fernando Mendoza takes over at QB, and as soon as they get him some weapons to throw to, Vegas could be a surprise team in a few years.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines