Over the last 10-plus years, continuous rule changes have worked hand in hand with NFL front offices to put footballs in the air. Quarterbacks make your franchise, receivers are your eccentric stars, and your running backs are minimum-wage workers lucky to hold a roster spot for a few years. These exaggerated versions of tropes have defined many NFL offenses for a decade. But, in 2024, in the western division of the American Football Conference (AFC), there’s a depression of pass-catching talent. The economies collapsed, and fingers are pointing. What could’ve caused this? A perfect storm of incompetence, complacency, and arrogance.
Los Angeles Chargers
- Joshua Palmer
- Quentin Johnston
- Ladd McConkey
- Simi Fehoko
“Let me tell you about America. They’ve got the F.B.I. If you watch how they investigate… You know how? Their heads are spinning like a top. Analyzing things… You know why? It’s cause they got so much fucking land! If you don’t use your brain it’s too much ground to cover. So they have no choice, those F.B.I. bastards. But our Republic of Korea… using your two legs, you can run all over it.”- Detective Park Doo-man in Memories of Murder (2003).
Jim Harbaugh approaches football like a 1980s Korean detective. You put on the pads and helmet for a reason. If it’s a game about imposing your will and seeing who’s left standing at the end of 60 minutes, Jim Harbaugh is the gamemaster. The Chargers let two veteran receivers walk at the inception of the Harbaugh regime. They had cap space issues, but these moves had the intent of making an identity clear.
“I know the question is gonna come up about weapons… we look at offensive linemen as weapons,” Jim Harbaugh said after selecting Offensive Tackle Joe Alt fifth overall.
Of course, this is from the coach of a team with Justin Herbert quarterbacking. I put them in the Chiefs’ tier of arrogance within this division—only in the sense that both feel so confident in their quarterback play that it doesn’t matter who they’re throwing to. In Los Angeles’ Week 6 victory over Denver, nine different L.A. players caught passes with none accumulating 50 yards. However, by season’s end, rookie receiver Ladd McConkey could be viewed as the consensus best wideout in this division. McConkey’s shown off elite route running and he’s already the best YAC creator on the team.
Las Vegas Raiders
- Jakobi Meyers
- Tre Tucker
- DJ Turner
The Raiders played the superstar receiver game. They came into the 2024 season with the consensus best wideout in the division, no question. But they did not come in with the quarterback to match him. Davante Adams played three games for the 2024 Raiders and had as many tackles as touchdowns. After sitting out the last three weeks with a hamstring “injury,” General Manager Tom Telesco dealt Adams to the New York Jets for a third-round draft pick.
At best, their current receiver core—listed above—could be described as unproven. A rag-tag group that likely won’t carry much blame on their shoulders due to the rotating quarterback carousel they’ll be dealing with. Tre Tucker and Dj Turner have yet to combine for 400 total yards in a season. However, Jakobi Meyers did have a productive 2023 in Las Vegas totaling 807 yards and eight touchdowns.
Luckily for the silver and black, they do have the best pass catcher in the division—Tight End Brock Bowers, who I wrote about a few weeks ago—here. He can shoulder major responsibility while the team buys time until the 2025 draft, where the Raiders will likely look to draft a quarterback before finding the wideouts to help him.
It’s not always a bad thing having subpar weapons and a subpar QB, especially if winning is not in your best interests.
Kansas City Chiefs
- Xavier Worthy
- JuJu Smith Schuster
- Justin Watson
- Mecole Hardman
“You do not need to know my name. All you need to know is that I am, and always will be, a loyal servant of the Galactic Empire. There is only one law: Obedience to the Emperor. There is only one punishment for failure: Death.” – Timothy Zahn (Thrawn Trilogy). — JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman (Kansas City Chiefs).
Does it even matter who plays for the Chiefs? Could they have 10 men on the field for half the game and still win?
Xavier Worthy has shown promise as being worthy of a first-round selection, but his production is inconsistent, and he’s more of a pure speed threat than a five-tool receiver—at least at this point. JuJu Smith-Schuster works well in this system and provides a short and intermediate possession option they’ve often missed, especially with Rashee Rice out for the season. Mecole Hardman is Mecole Hardman; hopefully, he’ll draw some pass-interference penalties down the field.
Patrick Mahomes still plays quarterback, Andy Reid still calls the plays, and Steve Spagnuolo continues to run the defense. These are the figures of the empire.
Spagnuolo is the current frontman of Kansas City in terms of production. But there’s definite arrogance on the offensive end. Unquantifiable confidence from Mahomes and Reid that they’ll make the plays when they have to—no matter who has the catch the ball. Continue to wait for the moment when they don’t.
Denver Broncos
- Courtland Sutton
- Troy Franklin
- Devaughn Vele
- Marvin Mims Jr.
Talent-wise, Cortland Sutton is probably the best receiver in this division. Production-wise, he’s nothing to write home about. Troy Franklin and Devaughn Vele are rookies who haven’t shown much yet. Marvin Mims is known more for his special teams talent than his offensive output.
This is the most boring receiver room in the division. Some are high on Troy Franklin, but he just doesn’t have many exciting qualities; though that doesn’t mean he can’t become a good NFL receiver. There’s also an argument that, when including tight ends, it’s the worst room of this division. Only because Brock Bowers is that good.
For more NFL content make sure to check out all of the reactions from week 6 in this video!