The AFC West has a variety of questions that will likely be answered during the next few weeks in training camp.
The Broncos have a new coach in Sean Payton, whose top priority is getting quarterback Russell Wilson to rebound after a forgetful 2022 season. Will training camp be the start of the latest successful coach-and-QB partnership in the NFL?
Some might be laughing about the possibility of the Broncos finding success with Wilson, while others are snickering at the thought of Kadarius Toney being the Chiefs’ No. 1 wide receiver this season.
SI's One Big Question
AFC East: It’s all about the quarterbacks | AFC North: Bengals are the team to beat | AFC South: Rookie quarterbacks on display
Will Toney live up to his potential during his first full season in Kansas City?
Many laughed at the Raiders for signing a quarterback who failed his physical before being introduced to the media. Will Jimmy Garoppolo be ready for training camp?
The Chargers will also generate laughs if they don’t strike a massive new deal with quarterback Justin Herbert ahead of training camp.
Let’s examine one question for the Broncos, Chiefs, Raiders and Chargers that might be answered in training camp.
Broncos
Will Russell Wilson regain his top form?
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Perhaps Wilson won’t ever play as well as he did with the Seahawks, but the Broncos are counting on him to play much better than he did during his first season in Denver.
Training camp will offer the first glimpse of the Payton-Wilson partnership. Will Wilson have a bounce-back season under Payton’s guidance? Payton was instrumental in turning Drew Brees’s career around when the two joined forces in New Orleans in 2006.
Another critical camp question for the Broncos: Can Payton still be an elite coach after a one-year hiatus from the sidelines?
The Broncos won’t get complete answers this summer, but getting positive early results would make them feel better about their investment in Payton, which required them relinquishing a first-round pick to the Saints for the right to hire the Super Bowl–winning head coach.
Payton was hired to clean up the mess created from Wilson’s disastrous first season in Denver—and there was no option for a breakup because the organization handed Wilson a five-year, $245 million contract extension before he played a game.
If Wilson is picking up the new offense quickly and making highlight throws throughout training camp, the Broncos might make some noise this season after a 5–12 record in 2022.
Chiefs
Is Kadarius Toney ready to be a No. 1 wideout?
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There were many overly optimistic quotes and stories coming out of Kansas City about Toney becoming Patrick Mahomes’s new No. 1 wide receiver.
Toney had a memorable 65-yard punt return in the Super Bowl against the Eagles, but he hasn’t done much as a wide receiver during his first two seasons in the league, including a rocky one-and-a-half seasons with the Giants. Toney, a 2021 first-round pick, has 55 total receptions for 591 yards and two touchdowns in 19 career games played.
The Chiefs might have showered Toney with praise to deflect attention from their thin receiving corps, which took a hit after JuJu Smith-Schuster left to sign with the Patriots. Kansas City was reportedly interested in adding DeAndre Hopkins before he signed with the Titans.
With no reinforcements coming, the Chiefs will likely be counting on Toney heavily this season. They’ll learn throughout training camp whether the offseason praise was warranted.
The Chiefs might have the worst receiving corps in the AFC West with Toney, Skyy Moore and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. (Justin Watson is another Chiefs wide receiver who got plenty of hype this offseason.)
Luckily for the Chiefs, they have Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce and Andy Reid on the sidelines.
Raiders
Is Jimmy Garoppolo healthy enough to start?
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A big part of covering NFL training camps is monitoring player health.
For the Raiders, will Garoppolo be available for the start of training camp? Garoppolo, who left the 49ers to sign with the Raiders, missed all of the offseason program due to foot surgery.
If Garoppolo is available, the question becomes, how well does he move and how many snaps will he get for 11-on-11 team drills? If Garoppolo was still with the 49ers, logging practice repetitions in the summer might not have mattered much. But Garoppolo needs work with his new teammates and to become familiar with the playbook. (It does help that Garoppolo is familiar with Josh McDaniels from their days together in New England.)
But the more important question for Garoppolo: Can he stay healthy the entire season for the Raiders?
That’s getting too far ahead. First, the Raiders need to learn when Garoppolo will participate in his first on-the-field workout with his new team.
Chargers
Will Justin Herbert have a new contract when camp opens?
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This question will probably be answered before training camp, but if Herbert reports without a new deal, then Chargers coach Brandon Staley should brace himself for several questions about Herbert’s contract situation.
It would be a mistake for the organization not to lock down their star quarterback before training camp. A team built to win now shouldn’t have to deal with the uncertainty of whether the franchise quarterback will be around for the long haul.
The Eagles got a deal done with Jalen Hurts this offseason, and the Chargers should do the same with Herbert, especially before Joe Burrow and the Bengals increase the price tag for quarterbacks.
Currently, Lamar Jackson is the highest-paid quarterback after signing a five-year, $260 million contract, topping Hurts’s five years, $255 million.
If the Chargers are wise, they won’t make Herbert stay in his car outside the team facility waiting to hear whether they have a contract agreement before training camp report day.
