When fans think about which team will emerge from the AFC to reach the Super Bowl, one name dominates the conversation: Patrick Mahomes and his Kansas City Chiefs.
They started slow this season but appear to have found their rhythm.
However, this year brings plenty of competition that could challenge their dominance.
Former defensive end Jared Allen recently appeared on Up & Adams and discussed which teams pose the biggest threat to Kansas City’s AFC throne.
He highlighted Jim Harbaugh’s Los Angeles Chargers and Sean Payton’s Denver Broncos as squads looking strong this season.
But Allen believes only one of them has what it takes when the stakes are highest.
“Denver plays the Chiefs really, really well,” Allen said. “I think the team that has the best chance to knock them off is Denver, but the Chiefs are still the top AFC.”
Jared Allen picks the Broncos as the biggest threat to the Chiefs in the AFC 👀@heykayadams pic.twitter.com/E83Kndzntw
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) October 27, 2025
Right now, Kansas City looks like a storm finding its full force after opening the season with back-to-back losses.
Their 31-0 demolition of the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 7 marked their fourth win in five games, signaling a return to the dominant form fans have come to expect.
Across the league, there’s a growing sense that Kansas City is heating up and once again becoming the team to beat in the conference.
Still, Denver’s rise cannot be ignored.
The Broncos finally pieced together a complete performance in their 44-24 rout of the Dallas Cowboys, offering a glimpse of what their talent-loaded roster can accomplish.
Sitting at 6-2 and atop the AFC West, Denver remains firmly in the hunt, though the three-time defending AFC champion Chiefs still hold the upper hand.
Yet if the Broncos continue building on this momentum, the road through the West might not be so predictable after all.
Kansas City remains the standard, but Denver is proving it has the pieces to make things interesting.
NEXT: Chris Simms Names 2 Biggest Threats To Chiefs